Hogwarts Reads In Remembrance
by GoldenPhoenixx
Summary: Another "Reading the future" fanfic but with a twist. Dumbledore reads "In Remembrance" to everyone in Hogwarts along with a few others to find out who will die in the future. Set in Harry's 5th year just after christmas.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a short fanfic showing the character's reactions to finding out about each other's deaths. I always liked the "reading the books" stories, but I wouldn't have the patience to finish one. First fanfic so please, no flames! R/R**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned in this story. They belong to JK Rowling, who (sadly) is not me. Nor do I own the "In Remembrance speech, although I did edit it to suit the story. Basically, anything you recognise, I don't own.**

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><p><strong><em>In Remembrance<em>**

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office, contemplating what to do about Harry Potter, when a letter appeared, along with a few pieces of blank paper. Immediately wary, he pulled out his wand and waved it over the parchment, muttering a revealment charm, to which it did not respond. Satisfied, he picked up the letter and started to read.

_Dear Albus Dumbledore_

_I know this is hard to believe, but this letter is from the future. As I'm sure you already know, this letter bears no curses or charms, but I probably need to offer you some proof. You, Albus Dumbledore, once told me, Harry James Potter, that you saw a pair of woollen socks when you looked into the Mirror of Erised. I know this is a lie. When you look into the Mirror, you see an image of yourself and your family, reunited and happy. I know this because I come from the future, a future where many people from both sides of the war are dead. On these pieces of paper is a speech written for a remembrance service that I myself , it will only reveal itself one line at a time. You must read it aloud to all of Hogwarts. Other people will join you as you start._

_HJP_

Dumbledore stared, stunned, at the letter in his hand, his mind reeling. Was this really from the future? It must be, otherwise how could they have known about the Mirror of Erised. In which case, how far in the future? Was Voldemort dead?

There was only one way to find out.

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><p>Harry Potter was walking to Charms with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, when he heard Dumbledore's voice echo through the halls.<p>

"All students and teachers must return to the Great Hall immediately"

Harry stopped dead, causing Ron to walk into him.

"Ouch! Harry, why'd you stop?" asked Ron, picking himself up off the floor.

"It's a bit odd isn't it," said Harry, "We just had lunch, why would Dumbledore want us to go to the Great Hall now?"

"I dunno, maybe he thought we deserved some more food," replied Ron, as his stomach gave a huge rumble, "can't say I'm complaining."

"Oh honestly Ron!" Said Hermione, turning around and marching back towards the Great Hall. "It must be something really important if he's cancelling lessons for it. I mean, it is our O.W.L year after all."

"Maybe it's something for the Order," mused Harry, cutting off Ron's retort, "It would make sense if it's something to do with Voldemort."

They had just entered the Great Hall, and as usual, the stares and whispers followed Harry as he crossed to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ginny, the twins, and Neville.

"No, Harry, it can't be," replied Hermione, "He's invited the _whole school_ remember? He won't just reveal the Order's existence to a load of children, especially as a quarter of them are the kids of Death Eaters!"

"Okay, okay, it was just an idea!" said Harry, annoyed, "Well what do you think it's about then?"

"I'm not sure," said Hermione thoughtfully, "Maybe it has something to do with one of the teachers…"

Before Ron could say something scathing, Dumbledore stood up, and the Hall fell silent.

"I am sure you are all wondering why I called you all here when you should be in lessons." He said, surveying the school, "but I found it necessary to do so. You see, I have come across some pieces of parchment. From the future."

At this, muttering broke out across the Hall.

"I know," said Dumbledore, raising his voice, "that this seems impossible, but I have been given proof that assures me that it is true. On this parchment is written the many deaths which will occur from this time onwards. It is a speech written for a memorial service, but I doubt it will tell us everyone who died in the war. Now we must wait until some people join us." As Dumbledore finished, there was a flash of bright yellow and a puff of smoke, which cleared to reveal Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, the rest of the Weasley family, and a large black dog, which bounded over to Harry and knocked him off his seat.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?" Harry whispered, "Malfoy might recognise you again!"

The dog simply looked at him with a doggy grin on his face.

"I don't think Malfoy can do anything about it now Harry," whispered Hermione in Harry's ear, "If he did he would have to admit that his dad's a Death Eater and that wouldn't go down too well would it?"

"I suppose not," said Harry, still reluctant to let the matter go, "but you still shouldn't be here."

Meanwhile, the others had sat down next to them, all except for Percy, who sat a few seats down from his family, not looking at them.

"So," said Bill, "Anyone going to tell us why we were all suddenly transported into Hogwarts when that's supposed to be impossible?"

They quickly outlined the situation, before turning back to Dumbledore.

"Now that we're all sorted." He said, watching with amusement as the dog jumped onto Gryffindor table and started to eat all food in sight, "I must warn you. We are about to read about the deaths of many people, some of them probably in this room. It will be difficult, but if we are to change the future, we must read."

Immediately, the atmosphere became tense, and Padfoot even stopped eating and sat in between Harry and Lupin instead. Everyone glanced fearfully at the people near them, wondering who had died…

Dumbledore stared at the page, on which words had begun to appear, in shock. This would be very difficult for all of them.

He cleared his throat, and began.

"In Remembrance

**…_In Remembrance of Severus Snape…."_**

At this people gasped and started at the Potions Master in shock. Yes they all hated him, but none of them wanted him dead.

Snape was chalk white, his fists clenched. How did it happen, did the Dark Lord find out about his true loyalties.

Harry was shocked, and so was Lupin. Harry was surprised to find himself sad, but he supposed that he could not help it. Even Padfoot had a dimmed light in his eye

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore continued.

**…_.A Slytherin who died like a Gryffindor…_**

Everyone looked at each other. How did that happen?

Dumbledore smiled-he knew that Severus Snape was the bravest person he knew.

**_...without all the red and gold crap._**

The words sounded so odd coming out of Dumbledore's mouth, that most people couldn't help but snort, although the Gryffindors looked offended. Immediately the laughter was stifled, as they realised that this was talking about someone's death.

Dumbledore had frozen as he looked at the next line, then glanced over at the Weasley family, which was not missed by Lupin, who watched them fearfully.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and carried on.

**…_In Remembrance of Fred Weasley…_**

This line had an infinitely larger reaction.

"NOOOO!" shrieked Molly, as she flung herself on Fred, who sat there shocked, staring at the parchment in Dumbledore's hand. "Not Freddie…not Freddie...not Freddie"

She was soon joined by her husband, who hugged Fred, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Mum, Dad" said Fred gently, prying himself out of his mother's grip, "I'm not dead yet and I certainly don't plan on going soon. This is what this is for. To stop these deaths before they can happen." He gave his twin a sad smile, "Right George?"

George sat there, staring at his twin in horror. His twin…his partner in crime… his other half…gone forever…

He shook his head. No. this wasn't going to happen, he would stay by Fred forever and would never let him go. And with that, he got up and joined his mother and father in hugging Fred, shortly joined by Ron, Charlie, Bill and Ginny, all of whom had tear tracks running down their faces. They did not need to talk. As long as they had their family, they would be alright, for they would protect each other till the end.

Percy was watching with a frozen expression on his face. Fred-_his brother_-might die in the next few years and he might not have made up with him. He might have never had a chance to tell him he was sorry for everything…

With a strangled cry, he run forward and hugged his brother as hard as he could, tears streaking his face.

"Perce…"said Fred softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Percy cried as he was enveloped into the Weasley family hug.

They were a family once more.

Harry and Hermione watched this reunion awkwardly. They were devastated to here that Fred might die, and they did not want to interrupt this family moment. Padfoot whined and lay his head on Harry's lap, as Lupin put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Soon enough, the Weasleys sat down together and Dumbledore continued reading.

**…_Who fought bravely to the very end… _**

Fred gave a watery smile here. Of course he would.

**…_And whose jokes will forever brighten his other half…_**

Everyone held their breath-was George dead too?

**…_And will loyally await his soul mate and brother…_**

Everyone-even the Slytherins-let out a breath they didn't realise they were holding. At least George was still alive.

**… _with many jokes…_**

**_...he's got forever to think of them, right?_**

"Well then, they better be good by the time I get there." Joked George.

"Yeah well, if this does happen in the future-"

"Which it won't"

"Yes, then I won't want to see you for a very long time."

"Well that's nice!" huffed George, turning his back childishly.

Everyone laughed, releasing some of the tension in the room.

The smile left Dumbledore's face as the next line appeared on the parchment. He sighed-How many were they to lose?

**…_.In Remembrance of Remus J. Lupin…._**

Everyone gasped and stared at Lupin, who looked shocked.

The great black suddenly leaped onto the table and howled at the sky before pouncing on Lupin and looking at him with what was unmistakably a glare. Everyone who didn't know about Sirius looked at each other, confused. It looked like the dog understood what was going on.

Lupin patted Padfoot and gave him a small smile.

"Well at least I'll get to see James and Lily again" he said.

Tonks got up from her seat, marched up to him and slapped him round the face.

"That's for dying!" she hissed, "Now you better not die this time round."

She had tears in her eyes but was glaring at him fiercely. Her normal pink hair had turned brown.

"Dora…" said Remus

"Don't you Dora me!" she said her hair turning red, "How could you? How could you leave us? Leave Harry? Leave me!"

She froze, as she realised what she had said.

"Remus I-"

But she was cut off as Remus grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. There were cheers from around the Hall, and some catcalling from the Weasley twins.

They broke apart and Remus looked at her, horror-struck.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, "I shouldn't have. You deserve better than me-"

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me you idiot," said Tonks before pulling him back to her.

It was very romantic until the scene was ruined by a large black dog pouncing on both of them and knocking them to the floor.

"Padfoot!" Lupin yelled pushing the dog over and helping Tonks too her feet, "If I wasn't so happy you would be so dead right now."

Padfoot barked and grinned at him.

Remus and Tonks sat down next to each other, both glowing with happiness.

Dumbledore watched this scene with amusement before continuing.

**_...the last real Marauder..._**

Everyone who knew about Sirius froze, the happiness draining out of the air. Surely that didn't mean…

**…_Who was not just a wonderful father…_**

Lupin spat out the pumpkin juice he was drinking all over Padfoot who growled at him, shaking his fur.

He was then ambushed by a series of congratulations, for him and Tonks, as she was most likely the mother. Lupin however, looked sad.

"My kid will never know me." He said looking at the floor.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him/her all about you." Said Tonks, stroking his hair.

**…_.an incredible husband _**

Lupin and Tonks smiled at each other.

**_and brave hero…_**

**_...but was also a freakin' awesome werewolf…_**

This caused a fresh spout of laughter from everyone but Umbridge, who looked disgusted.

However, the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye faded as he read the next line. He guessed the child would grow up without either of his parents after all.

**…_.In Remembrance of Nymphadora Tonks…_**

There was a cry of "No!" from all who knew her, as tears filled her eyes.

Lupin was pale and horror struck, staring at his new girlfriend.

"I'll make you a deal," he choked out in a strangled voice. "I won't die if you won't."

She gave him a watery smile,.

"Deal," she said, but then her face fell

"Oh no, what about the child!"

Everyone looked sad at this, feeling pity for the child that would grow up without his parents.

Harry, who had not spoken in a while, looked down at this. The kid would have the same childhood as him, without a parents love.

The truth was, Harry was terrified. Lupin, Fred and Tonks were bad enough, but what if one of his friends died? What if on this list were the names of Hermione or Ron? Of Ginny or Neville?

Shaking his head, he looked up at Dumbledore who continued.

**…_who chose what was right, not what was easy…_**

Everyone who recognised these words smiled, while Tonks looked proud. Of course she would.

**…_and __who died for 'the greater good'…_**

"Well that makes me feel special," She huffed, crossing her arms, causing everyone to laugh.

**_...and would probably hex me for calling her Nymphadora…_**

"Wow, this person knows me really well." Said Tonks, while Remus chuckled and everyone who had ever called her Nymphadora shuddered.

**…_In Remembrance of Peter Pettigrew…_**

Most of the school looked confused, but some looked sad, knowing his story. However, the members of the Order and the students who knew about Sirius' innocence growled and threw dark looks at the parchment.

"Wait a minute, that means he's dead in the future!" said Ron looking elated.

"Yes!" Yelled Fred and George while the Order, Harry and Hermione looked happy at this news.

Padfoot barked, wagging his tail furiously, a maniacal doggy grin on his face.

Lupin smiled widely. He was celebrating the death of the traitor who had split his friends apart. His friend Peter had died 14 years ago.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"I have to say that not everyone on here will be good."

This statement brought confusion on the part of the hall who knew the story of Peter Pettigrew, the great hero. Why would Dumbledore say that when Pettigrew was good?

**…_Who must've been an alright guy to start with…_**

Lupin smiled sadly. He was once. He was once their friend.

**…_And who helped out Harry in the end…_**

"He did?" said harry, looking confused, "Why would he do that?"

Ron and Hermione looked at him clueless, but Dumbledore answered.

"I believe that it refers to the life debt he owes you."

Harry nodded in understanding, but the rest of the school looked confused.

"Excuse me sir," said Ernie McMillan, "But how could Pettigrew owe Harry a life debt if he has been dead for fifteen years?"

"All is not as it seems Mr McMillan, all is not as it seems…" said Dumbledore leaving most people more confused than before.

**…_who am I kidding, he was__ worthless and pathetic..._**

Padfoot barked in agreement while Lupin, Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded their heads vigorously. Everyone else was completely lost.

"But he was a hero," whispered Susan Bones, "How could he be worthless and pathetic?"

"All is not as it seems Susan," replied Justin, "I guess we will just have to wait and see."

**_...proof that not all Gryffindors were good…_**

"The Slytherins nodded."

**…_In Remembrance of Gideon and Fabian Prewett…_**

Everyone sighed as they already knew this one.

**…_Who had some freakin' awesome nephews…_**

The Weasley boys smiled and Fred and George took bows, whilst Ginny pouted.

**…_And niece…_**

"Better…" she muttered.

**…_And who died fighting for the Order of Phoenix…_**

Dumbledore sighed as he saw the next name. How many would be lost?

**…_In Remembrance of Dobby…_**

"No!" cried Harry, before being comforted by his Ron and Hermione who had tears in their eyes.

Malfoy had started at the name of his old house elf, but was not very sad. They were just servants after all. But how did Potter know the elf that his father had sacked?

The rest of the Hall was very confused. Who was Dobby?

**…_Who was more free and full of more love…_**

**_...than any elf, and most humans._**

"So true." Muttered Harry, still looking at the table in grief for all those lost, and all those more to come.

Most people wondered why Harry was so upset about an elf.

**…_and who wore some freakin' awesome socks…_**

Everyone who knew Dobby grinned, remembering the elf's odd fashion sense.

**…_In Remembrance of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody…._**

There was not much room left to grieve anymore, but Harry still felt a gut-wrenching pang when he heard these words. Tonks gave a strangled cry and started to sob into Lupin's shoulder.

Moody looked grim, but resolute.

"It happens to all of us," he said to Tonks,"and as long as I went in battle, I'll be happy."

Dumbledore watched his old colleague sadly before looking back at the parchment which was spelling out new words.

**…_whose motto-_**

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

**_'constant vigilance' kept him alive…_**

Said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling

**_...and scared the crap out of some kids too._**

Everyone who had Moody as a teacher smiled nostalgically.

Dumbledore's eyes lit up at the next line. At least they didn't die in vain.

**…_In Remembrance of Tom Marvelo Riddle_**

"YES!" yelled Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and everyone else who knew Voldemort's real name.

"YES, YES, YES"

Dumbledore continued for the sake of the people who were staring at the Gryffindor table as if they were mental.

**_a.k.a. Voldemort…._**

"WHAT!"

"HE REALLY IS BACK!"

"YES"

"WE WON!"

Everyone was on their feet, dancing and yelling and cheering. There was no doubt about it now, everyone believed he was back. Even some of the Slytherins were cheering except people like Malfoy and the other Death Eater kids. They were however having second thoughts about joining. They wanted to make sure they were on the winning side after all…

After about 5 minutes Dumbledore called for Order and continued.

**…_who was pretty cool, and cute when he was younger…_**

"EWWWW"

"Who wrote this?"

**…_but who got his ass thoroughly kicked in the end…_**

More cheering.

**…_all because he thought a one year old was threatening him…_**

All faces turned towards Harry who shrugged.

The Order however, looked at each other. Did Harry really do it? Did he really manage to defeat the Darkest Wizard of all time?

**…_In Remembrance of Cedric Diggory…_**

The mood immediately turned sombre in respect.

**_...who died for being in the wrong place at the wrong time…_**

Cho had tear tracks running down her cheeks.

**_...and who shall forever be the spirit of what Hufflepuff stood for..._**

The Hufflepuffs nodded sadly.

**…_In Remembrance of Frank and Alice Longbottom…_**

Everyone but the Order, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys looked sadly at Neville who was looking at his feet. Was this why he was brought up by his grandmother?

**…_who lie in St Mungo's …_**

Now people were looking confused. What had happened to them?

**…_Driven to insanity by the Dark Side…_**

Everyone who didn't know gasped, and stared at Neville in pity, who was still staring at the floor with tears in his eyes.

**…_But who must have been pretty awesome to have a son like Neville…_**

"Here, here!" shouted the Gryffindors while the Slytherins rolled their eyes. Neville looked up with a smile on his face. He was awesome?

Dumbledore sighed as he read the next line. Not that he hadn't been expecting it but it was still a bit of a shock. Hesitating for a moment, he read.

**…_In Remembrance of Albus Dumbledore…_**

"WHAT!" came the unanimous cry from around the Hall. Then the whispering started. Harry sat, shocked at this latest reveal. "How could Dumbledore die? He had always been there, annoying and cryptic but always solidly there. What would happen to Hogwarts? He had never considered the possibility of Hogwarts without Dumbledore. It just didn't seem right.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and silence fell.

"I am not invincible. Even the strongest of us must sometimes fall, and when my time comes, I am sure that I will be ready. Death is but the next great adventure after all, and I pray that you continue on your lives when I am gone. But for now, I am still whole and alive, so let us continue now.

**…_whose past and wisdom confused us…_**

Here Dumbledore froze. Did this person somehow know about his dark past? Would it be common knowledge in the future? People were starting to discuss in whispers now, so before anyone could speak, he continued.

**…_whose seeming betrayal shocked us…_**

"Now the whispers broke out in earnest. It was as though there was a swarm of bees attacking the Great Hall. Dumbledore? Betrayal? The two words did not fit in the same sentence, it was like an oxymoron. Dumbledore was the must trusting and trustworthy person any of them had ever known, even the Slytherins admitted that, although they thought it in a scathing tone.

Lupin and Padfoot were shaking their heads in denial. They had been betrayed once by someone they trusted, it could not happen again. Slowly, the murmers died, and everyone turned back to Dumbledore, who was sitting staring pensively into the distance. When it was silent, he continued.

**…_but actually who turned out to be an okay guy in the end..._**

The Hall sighed in relief. That was better.

**_...despite the whole 'almost killing Harry' thing._**

Once again, everyone froze in horror. What?

"YOU WHAT!" yelled Molly, standing up and glaring at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore sighed. He guessed his suspicions were true. However, the book had mentioned anything about Harry dying, so maybe it all worked out in the end…

"I don't know Molly," he lied, "this parchment is from the future, so I cannot tell you about everything that is on it."

Still shooting him suspicious looks, Molly sat down next to a growling Padfoot, who was glaring at Dumbledore, his hackles raised.

**…_In Remembrance of Lily and James Potter …_**

Padfoot, Lupin and Harry looked down in sorrow.

**_...who seemed to be enemies in school…_**

"What?" asked Harry looking at Lupin in confusion.

"We'll tell you later," replied Lupin

Harry accepted this, but looked slightly worried. His parents had hated each other?

**_...but then they end up married…_**

**_...and they died protecting their son and saving the wizarding world…_**

The light left Dumbledore's eyes he read the next line. Poor Harry, he would take this very hard indeed.

**_...In Remembrance of Sirius Black…_**

"WHAT!" Shrieked everyone who knew (they'd been doing that a lot lately), while the rest of the Hall cried "Good Riddance."

To most people's surprise Harry Potter who was very white in the face, got up and ran over to the great black dog, which, before their eyes, transformed into a man.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" they yelled, jumping to their feet and pointing.

Sirius didn't notice however. He was too busy consoling his godson, who was hugging him very hard, white faced.

"Oh, shut up!" yelled Hermione, "It's not like you know the truth.

Most people looked confused at this, still watching Harry and Sirius in shock. _Harry Potter_ was upset about _Sirius Black's_ death!

Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him, completely bewildered.

"Sirius Black is innocent of all he was ever accused of, apart from slashing the Fat Lady and breaking into Gryffindor Tower,"

At this Sirius sent Dumbledore a sheepish grin to which Dumbledore replied with a smile.

"However, he did so with the best of intents, and means no harm to anyone in this Hall."

At this Snape snorted and glared at Sirius who smirked back at him.

Some students looked mollified with Dumbledore's explanation, while others looked disbelieving.

"That makes no sense," sneered Zacharias Smith, "there were many witnesses that saw him murder Peter Pettigrew and a ton of muggles. How do you explain that?"

Dumbledore simply smiled at him.

"We could spend all day discussing the innocence of Sirius, but that is not what we are here to do. Right now, I wish to continue, but if you want proof, just look at them," he indicated Sirius and Harry who was now sitting next to his Godfather, his face ghostly white but slightly calmer.

"You all saw how Harry reacted to Sirius supposed death. Why would _Harry Potter_ aid a Death Eater who was responsible for his parent's deaths?"

Some people still looked unconvinced, but they let it go.

During this, Remus had come over and sat next to his best friend. He had suspected this, but it still hurt to hear it. Also, from what it said earlier, he would die after Sirius, and he could not imagine how his future self would feel when that happened.

"Moony" whispered Sirius, looking up at his friend, willing him to speak.

Remus looked up at him with blank eyes and spoke quietly,

"You better not leave me alone this time round Padfoot,"

Sirius grinned at him and waggled his eyebrows,

"Oh I'm sure you won't be alone, Dora will be there to comfort you-"

He suddenly cut off as he received glares from a red haired Metamorphmagus and a very annoyed werewolf. However, his statement got the reaction he wanted, as several people snorted, successfully lightening the atmosphere.

**…_Who lived and died as he said he would..._**

Harry and Lupin gave strangled cries at the reminder that Sirius was dead.

**…_for his friends..._**

Sirius smiled happily. At least he had died for something worthwhile.

**_...also, he died by drapery, and his friends are laughing with him at it now..._**

"Oh, come on!" Sirius complained in a loud voice, "Drapery? Really? I could have gone out diving in front of a wand in some heroic battle but nooo, I get killed by drapery! How is that even possible?"

Everyone shrugged-after all, not even Dumbledore knows the deepest secrets of the Department of Mysteries.

Dumbledore sighed in relief at the next line. At least it wasn't someone good, and they would be much better off without _her_ in the world.

**…_In Remembrance of Bellatrix Lestrange…_**

"YES!" screamed Neville, jumping up from his seat and punching the air,

"YES, YES, YES"

Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at each other in happiness. They were really glad that that horrible woman (if one could call her that) got what she deserved.

Dumbledore gave Neville a moment to calm down before continuing with an amused twinkle in his eye.

**…_who was completely crazy and utterly heartless…_**

"True…"

**…_And who deserved everything she got…_**

"More true…"

**…_Especially from Molly Weasley…_**

Everyone turned slowly and gaped at a furiously blushing Molly Weasley. Neville got up and gave her a huge hug, which she returned still blushing in slight confusion.

"Wow Mum," said Fred weakly, "We really shouldn't get on the bad side of you should we?"

The Hall snorted, while Molly lightly cuffed Fred round the head, but looking quite proud of herself.

When Dumbledore's eyes fell on the next line, his heart sank even lower. How many innocent would be lost?

**…_In Remembrance of Colin Creevey…_**

The Hall gasped as one, and stared at the ghostly white boy sitting at the Gryffindor table. With a cry, Dennis launched himself at his brother and started crying into his shoulder, causing Colin to break out of his shock to comfort him.

Harry was feeling horribly guilty, although he was not sure why. Poor Colin, he was so innocent. Annoying, but kind and brave. It was impossible to imagine him dead.

Dumbledore watched on sadly before continuing.

**…_who we really didn't know too well…_**

**…_but who took a lot of pictures and died fighting in a war…_**

Dennis let out a strangled cry.

**…_so he must've done something good…_**

**…_besides stalking Harry…_**

Here the Hall snorted and Collin blushed, which broke the tension slightly.

Dumbledore looked at the next name and froze. Memories started to play before his eyes; Meeting Gellert, discussing the future, fighting with his brother…

His sister dead.

Shaking himself out of the trance, he continued to read with a slight tremor in his voice.

**…_In Remembrance of Gellert Grindelwald…_**

The Hall looked at each other. Okaaaaay.

**…_who died lying to Voldemort's face…_**

Dumbledore felt a spark of hope here. Did his old friend really go against Voldemort in the end?

Everyone else was whispering quietly to each other. Why would Grindelwald lie to someone who had the same beliefs as he did? Unless he changed his mind…

**…_and tried to make up past mistakes, we think…_**

Here Dumbledore almost smiled. He guessed that Gellert did feel some regret at least for everything he did. Everything Dumbledore almost did…

**…_In Remembrance of Hedwig…_**

Harry, who was already looking depressed and pale, made an odd noise somewhere between a sob and a cry as tears formed in his eyes. Not Hedwig…Not his pet, his friend. Hermione engulfed him in a hug, while Ron placed his hand on Harry's shoulder in an unspoken display of support.

**_...Harry actual first friend…_**

Here, the Slytherins looked at each other. The Golden Boy didn't have any friend before Hogwarts?

Snape sneered. Of course, the boy would be too arrogant to make any real friends.

**_...who lived and died soaring_**

Harry looked down sadly.

**…_In Remembrance of every good person who died…_**

**_..they are on the next great adventure.._**

**_..and their names written down in history as the bravest people ever known.._**

Dumbledore put down the parchment, as a loud silence rang throughout the Hall…


	2. Cat, Rat and Dog

**AN: Sorry it took a while to get up - I did warn you I wasn't good at these! But, I decided to do a few chapters at the end of third year, maybe fourth year, then the chapters involving people's deaths and the epilogue. Please review if you have any specific requests. Thx to all the people who have followed or favourited this story - it means a lot.**

**Disclaimer: i do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the words in bold.**

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><p>The Great Hall sat completely silent, each occupant silently dwelling on his or her thoughts. It seemed as though they could sit there in silence forever, contemplating what had just happened, but unfortunately, they were rather rudely interrupted.<p>

"Hem, hem,"

In unison, every head in the Great Hall snapped round to stare at Umbridge, who was standing up at the head table, smiling her sickly sweet smile as she looked at them all.

"It has come to my attention," she started, "that by the rather sombre expressions on everyone's faces, some of you seem to actually _believe,_" her lip curled nastily on the word, "this utter nonsense. Do you honestly think that someone _from the future_ decided to send back a list of people who are supposedly going to 'die'. Personally, I believe that this is a rather underhand scheme designed to unhinge the local community and the Ministry of Magic."

As she said this her eyes flickered momentarily over to where Harry sat, a smug smile playing about her lips.

Harry stared at her, unable to believe his ears. She was actually attempting to pin this on _him_? Now that he thought about it, she had been extremely quiet throughout the reading.

As he looked around he realised that, to his horror, many people were looking uncertain, some even shooting suspicious glances in his direction. No, no, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen! He'd thought that more people might see things his way after this, but Umbridge was ruining everything!

There was muttering now, dark glares and scowling, and Umbridge just sat there with a stupid smile on her flabby face.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light, causing several people to scream. When the light had disappeared, there was a stack of papers and a small note sitting in a startled Umbridge's hands.

Dumbledore quickly strode over and plucked the note from the professor, who was still blinking like a confounded owl.

Clearing his throat, he read.

"To all who are listening,

We realised that you may have come across problems involving Madam Umbridge and her _interesting_ views. To prove to all of you that we are _not_ lying, we have taken the liberty of sending you these pages which will give you more insight on what really happened, as well as giving you some more details on future events.

Enjoy your reading!

HJP"

Dumbledore finished reading and looked around. Most students look quite confused and Umbridge looked simply dumbstruck.

Harry himself was pretty relieved that the hostile mutterings had stopped, but was understandably wary about the "what really happened" part of the letter. Did that mean the pages would be involving him? And unless he was much mistaken (and he would be very confused if he was) HJP were _his_ initials.

"Right then!" Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together and smiling at the hall with a twinkle in his eye, "I think we should get started. I shall read first if you please Madam Umbridge."

Umbridge blinked stupidly at him for a second, before holding the parchment out to the Headmaster, who took them, still smiling

But just as he opened his mouth, the doors banged open and Cornelius Fudge strode in, cloak billowing behind him. Amelia Bones followed him in a much more civilised fashion, looking faintly irritated.

Harry heard a faint pop behind him, and turned round to see Padfoot sitting on the floor beside him; Sirius clearly didn't want to be spotted.

"Minister, Madam Bones!" Dumbledore said in surprise, "I was not expecting you to visit. Not that it is an unpleasant surprise of course."

Amelia Bones smiled at the aged headmaster, but Fudge scowled.

"We are here," he stated, "because I received an owl from my senior undersecretary that you were conducting an unauthorised halt in lessons due to some elaborate propaganda to destabalise the Ministry! I came to put a stop to it at once!"

Dumbledore just kept smiling throughout the Minister's speech, not looking at all bothered by the very angry, short man attempting to arrest him.

"Not at all, Minister," he said, cheerfully, "On the contrary, I have nothing to do with this at all, and I would be quite happy to admit it under veritaserum if you require me to. But for now, why don't you join us? We were about to continue reading some very interesting material.

Deterred by Dumbledore's confidence, Fudge looked uncertainly at Madam Bones who shrugged, walked up to the head table and sat down next to McGonagall. Fudge, now alone in the middle of the hall, conjured a chair next to Umbridge's and sat down in it, looking sullen.

"Right then," said Dumbledore, "Now that we're all here, we can start."

He cleared his throat, and began.

**"Cat, Rat, and Dog," **

"Right!" Said Fred, rubbing his hands together "let's try and figure out when this is set and who it is about."

A few people looked faintly irritated that they hadn't got past the chapter title without being interrupted, but others looked interested.

"I would say it's last year," mused Lee Jordan, "after all that was the most eventful year…"

Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned at each other, if only they knew…

The Weasley twins had now started collecting bets from people about when and about whom the story was about.

Most people seemed to be betting last year, and that it would be focusing on one of the teachers, although some were betting on a few of the older students.

Then Ron's voice rose above the rest.

"I bet ten galleons that it's about Harry."

The gamblers fell silent to stare at the red-haired boy. That actually was a reasonable bet.

"Ten galleons," Ron continued, "that it's Harry, at the end of third year."

"Don't be stupid Ron," Fred said, "you don't _have_ ten galleons."

"Ten Galleons," Ron said firmly."

"Fine," said George, "bet accepted. But don't come running to us when you're out of mon-Oh. Ohhh, that's cheating!"

For George's eyes had fallen on the large black dog sitting on the floor. His mind flashed back to two years ago; Scabbers and Crookshanks, Peter Petigrew, and Sirius…Cat, Rat and Dog…

"Bet was accepted, George," Ron said smugly, "Now why don't we let Professor Dumbledore read." With that he settled back into his seat beside Hermione and Harry, who were staring at him in amusement.

Dumbledore watched the proceedings with a amused twinkle in his eye before continuing.

**Harry's mind had gone blank with shock. **

"Damn!" Swore Fred and George, whilst Ron gave them a smug grin. Harry groaned. His point of view. That meant his thoughts…

**The three of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. **

Oh dear, thought Harry, before the hall exploded.

"YOU HAVE AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!" Roared most of the hall, staring at the boy now trying to sink into his chair.

Malfoy was once more glaring at his goblet so hard it was liable to explode any moment. Of course Potter got an invisibility cloak; Perfect Potter got _everything_. He was "The Boy-Who-Lived after all.

During Malfoy's seething thoughts, Harry was attempting to shake off the two teenage boys begging at his feet.

"Pleeeease, Harry!" begged George, gazing imploringly up at the boy, "Think of the possibilities! The things we could do with that cloak!"

Proffessors McGonagall and Snape looked at each other in horror, for once united against a common enemy. The Weasley twins could _not_ get that cloak!

Luckily, Harry's thoughts seemed to be heading along the same lines.

"That is exactly why I wouldn't lend it to you. I don't want the school to blow up!"

The twins looked vaguely offended at this.

"We wouldn't blow up the whole school!" Fred protested. Then he hesitated.

"Well, not deliberately…and anyway, we couldn't blow it up, half our customers are here!"

At this, Mrs Weasley's head snapped round to glare at her now cowering sons. Then she sighed and shook her head. The letter had really shown her what was important to her.

Confused but delighted, the twins went back to staring pleadingly at Harry, who steadfastly turned his back on them, staring determinately at Dumbledore.

**The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.**

"What _is _going on?" asked Daphne Greengrass, who had so far not spoken at all.

**"Hagrid," Harry muttered. **

"And that didn't help at all." Daphne harrumphed.

**Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to turn back, but both Ron and Hermione seized his arms.**

"Er, why?" Asked Charlie, who didn't like the thought of Hagrid being upset.

"Oh, I don't know, Charlie," Said Fred sarcastically, "Invisibility cloak, setting sun, I get the feeling they're doing something out of bounds!"

Charlie looked embarrassed and didn't speak, but Snape snorted.

"Of course it was out of bounds, it's _Potter!" _He muttered under his breath, earning a severe glare from Proffessor McGonagall.

**"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him…"**

Fred looked pointedly at Charlie who looked down.

**Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.**

**"How — could — they?" she choked. "How**_** could **_**they?"**

"How could they…what?"

**"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.**

**They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now.**

"Out of bounds!" Sang Fred and George.

**By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.**

**"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed,**

Harry and Remus exchanged a glance. They had a feeling they knew when this was…

Beside them, Padfoot whined, resting his head on his paws.

Meanwhile…

"Fred! Do you mind telling everyone what year I lost Scabbers when he kept running away?" Said Ron, grinning like an idiot. "Oh yes, that's right third year! Money please?"

"No way!" George protested, "It could still be your second or third year, you don't get anything until we see solid proof."

**clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still — OUCH! He bit me!"**

"I hate that rat!" Growled Ron. Percy looked shocked.

"I thought you liked Scabbers! I don't know what you did to him to make him run away though." He said, confused.

Padfoot growled at Percy who looked at the dog warily. He hadn't seen it appear…And where did Sirius Black go anyway?

**"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute —"**

Fudge looked up, startled at hearing his name.

**"He won't — stay — put —"**

**Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.**

"Stupid rat!" Seamus exclaimed, "why was it trying to escape anyway?"

**"What's the **_**matter **_**with him?"**

"Everything?" Said Harry innocently.

**But Harry had just seen — stinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness — Crookshanks. **

All the Gryffindors groaned. That had been one annoying year, having Ron and Hermione argue _every day_ about their stupid pets! Talking of annoying years…

"Pay up!" Demanded Ron, "Scabbers and Crookshanks. Third year!"

Grumbling, Fred and George reluctantly handed over a small pile of galleons which Ron scooped into his arms, grinning from ear to ear.

**Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell.**

**"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"**

"Huh, that's a first." Said Parvati, "Hermione doesn't usually say anything against her beloved pet.

**But the cat was getting nearer —**

The Weasley Twins gasped dramatically.

**"Scabbers — NO!"**

**Too late — the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.**

"And the chase is on!" said Hannah Abott at the Hufflepuff table.

_**"Ron!" **_**Hermione moaned.**

**She and Harry looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off**

"Smart."

"Shut up."

**and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron;**

"Well as long as you don't drop it…" Warned George threateningly.

**they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.**

"Stealth Ronald, stealth!" Said Ginny, "You are trying not to get caught here."

**"Get away from him — get away — Scabbers, come **_**here **_**—"**

**There was a loud thud.**

Percy winced. Poor Scabbers…

**"**_**Gotcha!**_** Get off, you stinking cat —"**

**Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.**

**"Ron — come on back under the cloak —" Hermione panted.**

"Yes, hurry!" said Bill anxiously, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

**"Dumbledore — the Minister — they'll be coming back out in a minute —"**

**But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws…**

People exchange nervous looks with their neighbours.

**Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow — an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.**

Padfoot chose that point to knock a phial of pumpkin juice off of the table. The resounding crash caused several people to look around and scream at the huge grim-like dog sitting by the table. Fudge even fell off of his chair at the sight.

Padfoot shrunk down and hid under the table for protection. He did not like being stared at like that.

Harry was rather surprised at his classmates' short-memory span; didn't they even remember seeing Sirius Black minutes earlier? Surely some of them would have made the connection.

**Harry reached for his wand, but too late — the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest;**

Mrs Weasley looked disapprovingly at Sirius, but did not comment.

**he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth —**

Lavander and Parvati gasped dramatically. Hermione rolled her eyes, as Colin Creevey piped up for the first time.

"You weren't hurt though, were you Harry? Because that wouldn't be good, cause then what would happen? We need you to make school more interesting!"

Harry stared in disbelief at the small Gryffindor. Interesting! That was one word for it.

Then Dean added his opinion.

"Yeah! School would be pretty boring without your yearly adventures!

Soon enough, most of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were comparing the school years with and without Harry, whilst the boy in question sat there in confusion. He turned to Ron, who just shook his head resignedly at him.

The hall fell quiet as Dumbledore resumed his reading.

**But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him.**

Lavander an Parvati sighed in relief.

**Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken,**

Now Mrs Weasley glared at a very downcast looking dog.

**Harry tried to stand up;**

**he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.**

Many people were eyeing Padfoot warily. He himself was looking very guilty about the incident.

**Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm.**

"WHAT!" Screamed Mrs Weasley, "You never mentioned that part to me!"

She glared accusingly at her youngest son, who was looking sheepish.

"Sorry?" Ron said weakly, "But it wasn't that bad and anyway, it was like _two_ years ago!"

This did nothing to lessen his mother's glare, but she did sit down, shooting murderous glances in Padfoot's direction.

Fred and George were grinning. They loved seeing their mum yelling at someone other than them for once.

**Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll —**

People were now shooting Ron nervous looks, but he just grinned lazily back.

**Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again.**

"Oh, what now?" Drawled Zacharias Smith, "it's all just one thing after another with you isn't it? The perfect super hero."

Smith was now on the receiving end of some very nasty glares (most of which came from Ginny) and, showing some small amount of intelligence, shut up.

**He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too.**

Ron looked at Hermione in concern. He had never heard how they got in.

**Harry groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes**

Remus looked slightly worried, and looked reproachfully at Harry. Seeing this, Harry rolled his eyes.

_**"Lumos!"**_** he whispered.**

**The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; **

"It's not…" Said Fred disbelievingly

**they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow **

"It is!" Finished George, "You guys have the worst luck in the world don't you?"

Ron smiled mysteriously at his older brother.

"Luck had nothing to do with it brother." He said.

Smirking at the confused look on George's face, Ron turned back to Dumbledore.

**and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.**

**And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots **

"How did the dog make it in there?" Asked Fred, "We've been trying for years and we just get hu –I mean, oh, there's a tunnel there? I had no idea!" He hastily corrected seeing his mother's beady glare.

— **Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight —**

**trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backward again.**

**All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground — but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken,**

Lavander gasped, and stared at Ron with wide eyes. "Did it hurt much?" She asked breathily.

Ron looked confused but answered anyway.

"Well, it hurt a lot at the time, but I got used to it in the end as long as I didn't move it much."

Lavander looked at him with such admiring eyes that Ron grinned despite himself. Hermione scowled and crossed her arms.

**and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.** **"Harry — we've got to go for help —" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.**

**"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time —"**

Remus burst out laughing, causing many people to look at him oddly.

"Just something I remember from school." He said, waving them off. Harry looked curiously between him and Padfoot, who looked decidedly sullen. He would _have _to find more details about that story later.

**"Harry — we're never going to get through without help —"**

**Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles.**

**"If that dog can get in, we can," Harry panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.**

**"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "Please…"**

"Yeah, cause that'll work." Said Fred, rolling his eyes.

Hermione glared at him and turned her back on him.

**Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.**

People looked at each other in shock. That was unexpected.

**Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.**

**"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped Harry's arm painfully hard. "How did he know —?"**

"Good question."

**"He's friends with that dog," said Harry grimly. "I've seen them together.**

Fred and George turned to Padfoot and waggled their eyebrows suggestively. Harry and Ron burst out laughing, whilst Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes and said "Boys!" at the same time.

**Come on — and keep your wand out —"**

**They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went next; he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel.**

**Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harry's wand. Seconds later, Hermione slithered down beside him.**

**"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a terrified voice.**

"Glad to know you care." Said Ron teasingly. Hermione smiled back but stopped when she saw Lavender Brown glaring at her. Ron's eyebrows furrowed as Hermione's expression became miserable. What did he do?

**"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.**

**"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him.**

**"I don't know… It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it…**

"Hem, hem." Interrupted Umbridge, "It _might_ be silly of me, but did the papers just mention something called a "Marauder's Map"? Maybe Messers Weasley and Weasley can explain something to us?

The Weasley Twins' faces whitened in horror, until Dumbledore intervened.

"That will not be necessary Madam Umbridge," Dumbledore said calmly, "We are all allowed are own secrets but I assume that by the name this item is a type of map?" He eyed the twins beadily, and they nodded with relief.

"Good, then I shall continue reading shall I?"

**It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade…"**

**They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ****ahead of them,**

**Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes… All Harry could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him…**

Remus smirked again.

**He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch…**

"Unfit are you Potter? Well, what with the amount of work you do it makes sense!" called Malfoy from the Slytherin table.

"Stuff it, Malfoy," Ron snarled, glaring at the blond boy who simply smirked in response. He was about to continue his taunting, but a warning look from Snape and a sever glare from McGonagall put an end to that.

Harry had his fists clenched in anger. Oh, what would he give to show his home life to that stupid blond ferret.

Then he paused. Crap! These were _his_ thoughts they were reading, and if he thought about the Dursleys…He shuddered in horror. He didn't know who would be worse, Hermione or Mrs Weasley.

**And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Ahead Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.**

**He and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond.**

People were leaning forwards unconsciously, wondering where the mysterious tunnel led too.

**It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor;**

"Stains, of what?" asked Susan Bones, nervously. "It didn't say what it was that was stained!"

**every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.**

Charlie and Bill looked at each other. It couldn't be….

**Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very frightened **

Malfoy sniggered.

**but nodded.**

**Harry pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.**

**"Harry," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."**

"WHAT!" screeched several people, including Mrs Weasley.

"YOU WENT INTO THE SHRIEKING SHACK! BUT IT'S SEPPOSED TO BE HORRIFICALLY DANGEROUS! RONALD WEASLEY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

Ron was cringing away from his mother, hiding behind Hermione, who clearly was not keen on being used as a shield. Just then, Mr Weasley put a hand on his fuming wife's shoulder.

"Molly, dear, I don't think they had much choice. Ron was dragged in, and he could have been very badly hurt if Harry and Hermione hadn't come after him."

Molly looked surprised at her husband's argument, but was undeterred.

"But they still could have gone to a teacher! They didn't have to rush in there alone."

"No," admitted Arthur, "But let's find out the rest of the story before we start shouting, dear. And anyway, I think everyone else wants to continue."

Indeed, everyone else had fallen silent, watching the two adults. Molly blushed, and Dumbledore started to read once more.

**Harry looked around. His eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.**

"That wasn't a ghost…" said Ginny slowly.

**"Ghosts didn't do that," he said slowly.**

Harry and Ginny blushed and looked pointedly in other directions. Ron opened his mouth but Hermione elbowed him in the stomach. He closed it again, looking confused.

**At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. **

"Sounds like a horror movie!" Snorted Dean, "Why do you have to be so morbid?"

Harry grinned at him. "Sorry," he said, "Not deliberate!"

**Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers.**

Hermione blushed and looked at the ground. Across the room, Malfoy spoke up.

"Scared, Granger? Afraid of the scary-wary ghosts? "

Ron stood up angrily, but Neville got their first.

"No, I think she's scared of the large dog hiding somewhere in the house with her injured best friend," he said coolly, "you'd be pretty stupid not to be scared. So I suppose you can't have been…"

A stunned silence met this speech, before the hall started to laugh and clap. It wasn't often Malfoy got beaten my Neville. Malfoy himself was bright red and angry, scowling at Neville with hatred. This expression only deepened at McGonagall's next words.

"Ten points to Gryffindor for logic and loyalty."

The resulting cheer continued until Dumbledore finally called for silence and started to read.

**He raised his eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go.**

**Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.**

The younger students now exchanged nervous looks.

**They reached the dark landing.**

_**"Nox,"**_** they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.**

**Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open.**

"Dramatic much…" muttered Malfoy sullenly.

**On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.**

Mrs Weasley let out a sigh of relief whilst also sending her youngest son a worried look. She hopedhe wasn't too badly hurt…

**Harry and Hermione dashed across to him.**

"Not good Potter, you should have checked for the dog first!" Said A Slytherin who Harry thought was called Daphne something.

This statement was met by incredulous looks from the rest of the hall. A Slytherin had spoken to a Gryffindor. Without insulting them!

The teachers exchanged looks; maybe there was still a chance for house unity after all.

**"Ron — are you okay?"**

**"Where's the dog?"**

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Now you remember it." She muttered.

**"Not a dog," Ron moaned.**

"Uhh, yes it was." Said Ernie MacMillan in confusion. "Are you sure he didn't hit his head?"

**His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, it's a trap —"**

**"What —"**

_**"He's the dog… he's an Animagus."**_

"Oh," Ernie blushed and looked at his feet. Then he looked up again.

"Wait, who…" he trailed off, staring at the black dog sitting next to Harry. Just where Sirius Black had been sitting before…

**Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.**

"Crap, that's never good," said Justin, nervously, "You should probably get out of there."

**A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. **

Lavander and Parvati shuddered in disgust.

**If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. **

Padfoot whined, looking quite sullen – well, as sullen as a dog can look whilst attempting to hide under the table.

**It was Sirius Black.**

"WHAT!" Yelled the thickies who hadn't connected the dots yet (Fudge and Umbridge were included in this group).

Umbridge stood up, pointing a stubby finger at the Gryffindor table.

"There he is Minister! Amelia, arrest him!" she shrieked, looking even more wild than usual.

Amelia was staring at the dog in disbelief, and a tiny amount of hope. After all, if Harry Potter was willing to sit next to his parents' 'murderer' then he must have a reason for it.

Fudge was simply sitting there, white-faced. He was not used to having to confront criminals, just sit in court and sentence them! Luckily, Dumbledore solved his dilemma.

"Dolores, you might as well hear out the rest of the story first," he said, genially, eyes twinkling, "he might have a good explanation. And Sirius, you might as well transform, they all know who you are now anyway."

Looking warily at Fudge and Umbridge, Padfoot crept out from beneath the table and transformed. Umbridge let out a small shriek of horror, and Fudge actually fell out of his chair. Amelia, however, simply sat there staring shrewdly at th ex-convict sitting sheepishly at the Gryffindor table.

"But Dumbledore!" Fudge blustered, "Surely you don't believe he is innocent? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Ah, but my dear Cornelius," Dumbledore replied, "you cannot judge if you don't know the whole story, can you? Now! We must continue if we want to finish in the quickest time possible!"

_**"Expelliarmus!"**_** he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.**

Mrs Weasley glared at Sirius, who stared mutinously back.

**Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry.**

More wary glances were sent in Sirius's direction.

**"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely. **

**His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. **

"Well, I didn't exactly need it for twelve years, did I? Dementors aren't the most talkative hosts!" Sirius said, trying to lessen the tension in the room. However, all he received were more cringes and glares from Fudge and Umbridge.

**"Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful… it will make everything much easier…" **

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, "That will not help them trust you! It sounds like you want to kill them!"

"Well, he does , doesn't he!" called an unidentifiable person. Harry glared around the hall, until Dumbledore continued.

**The taunt about his father**

"Wasn't a taunt…" muttered Sirius, annoyed.

Remus snorted, "Well, you couldn't have made_ that_ more obvious could you? No, injuring his best friend and telling the boy who thinks you want to kill him that his father would have done the same is _very _clear!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed, while Sirius scowled at his lap. The rest of the hall looked confused; why wasn't Professor Lupin scared of Black?

**rang in Harry's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest,**

Harry looked down, ashamed, as Sirius looked upset.

**leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack… to kill.**

People were looking at Harry with wide eyes; was he really that crazy? Suddenly, the whispers re-started and Umbridge looked pleased. Maybe some good could come out of reading these books.

Just then, Ginny stood up.

"Are you guys idiots? Really, you think that _Harry_ could kill someone? For one thing, he doesn't know how, and two, I'd like to see you guys treat the guy who you thought caused your parents' deaths with anything less! Honestly!" She sat down again, receiving a grateful look from Harry.

The occupants of the Great Hall looked down in shame at Ginny's words. They should have known better than to think Harry would do that.

**Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back…"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.**

**"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, **

"Aww…" cooed the girls, and McGonagall gave Ron an approving look.

**though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.**

Mrs Weasley looked at her son, worried, but he just rolled his eyes at her.

**Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.**

"You reminded me of me." Muttered Sirius. People closest to him sent him confused or sympathetic looks depending on who they were.

**"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."**

Despite her many arguments with the man, Mrs Weasley couldn't help but feel gratitude towards him. He tried to help her son after all.

Amelia was thinking hard. So far, the evidence did seem to point towards Bla – Sirius being innocent. She shook her head, no, she wouldn't allow herself to hope without solid proof.

**"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"**

"Ron, as much as I appreciate your loyalty, please don't say that again." Said Mrs Weasley, as Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah," he said, "I don't want either of you to die for me."

Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes in response; did that mean he wouldn't do the same for them? They knew not to start that argument though, otherwise they'd be there for a while.

**"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.**

Remus look at Sirius in disbelief, while they ones who didn't know the truth looked at each other, worried. That didn't sound like he was innocent.

**"Why's that?" Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of Ron, and Hermione. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew… What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"**

Harry, Remus and Sirius winced. Harry regretted those words, and Sirius didn't like the memories they brought. Remus just knew how badly the reminder would hurt his friend.

**"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"**

"And did he listen?" Said Fred…

**"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, **

"That's a no then?"

Just then, Ernie stood up.

"Wait, how did Black kill them? You-Know-Who did."

Hermione took it upon herself to answer.

"Yes, but they had a secret keeper, who everyone thought to be Sirius. When Voldemort found them, it was assumed that Sirius was a death eater and had betrayed his friends." She paused, "Of course, the street scene didn't help him prove his innocence, of course."

Ernie nodded in understanding and sat down, head buzzing. Then how did Harry like Black? There was no way to explain it.

**and with a huge effort he broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward —He had forgotten about magic — he had forgotten that he was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man — **

"Smart." Said George sarcastically.

**all Harry knew was that he wanted to hurt Black as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return —**

"Incredibly intelligent!"

"Astonishingly amazing!"

"Simply sublime!"

"Extraordinarily excellent!"

"Remarkably remarkable!"

"Marvellously magnificent"

"SHUT UP!"

**Perhaps it was the shock of Harry doing something so stupid,**

"I wouldn't be shocked…" muttered Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle guffawed, stupidly.

**but Black didn't raise the wands in time — **

"Didn't want to hurt you." Said Sirius.

**one of Harry's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, into the wall —**

"That hurt!" complained Sirius. Harry smiled sheepishly.

**Hermione was screaming; Ron was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Harry's face by inches;**

Now Sirius was being glared at by a _lot_ of people.

**Harry felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of Black it could find.**

Harry grinned apologetically at his scowling Godfather.

**But Black's free hand had found Harry's throat.**

The glares intensified.

**"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long —"**

**The fingers tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew.**

**Then he saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. **

"Go Hermione!" Cheered the twins. She smiled at them, blushing.

**Black let go of Harry with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and Harry heard a faint clatter —**

Bill clapped his youngest brother on the back. He was proud to have a sibling who would help his friend even when he was in pain. He hoped Ron knew that.

Ron himself was looking a bit pleased with himself. His family was proud of him. Umbridge may think these books would hurt Harry, but he himself was certainly benefiting from it.

**He fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but —**

**"Argh!"**

**Crookshanks had joined the fray; **

"Damn cat!" growled most of the Gryffindors. Crookshanks had an annoying habit of walking around their feet in the common room, and at least half of them had been tripped up by him once.

**both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Harry's arm;**

Hermione looked at her friend guiltily; she felt bad that her cat had hurt him, but he did it for a good reason!

**Harry threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry's wand —**

Now most of the hall was annoyed at the cat; why couldn't it just stay out of the way?

**"NO YOU DON'T!" roared Harry, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting;**

"Good one, mate," chorused Fred and George, earning them glares from Hermione.

**Harry snatched up his wand and turned —**

**"Get out of the way!" he shouted at Ron and Hermione.**

**They didn't need telling twice.**

"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "Harry is bloody scary when he wants to be!"

Fred, George, Hermione and Ginny nodded in agreement, but everyone else snorted.

"What?" said Zacharias Smith incredulously, "Potter's not scary. He barely talks let alone shouts."

Ron and Hermione stared at him in disbelief, whilst Fred and George were grinning maniacly. Oh, they couldn't wait until Harry released his temper on the stuck up Hufflepuff.

**Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg.**

Mrs Weasley looked at her son in concern. Once again, Ron rolled his eyes.

"Mum, honestly, I'm fine! It was two years ago!"

Mrs Weasley blushed, and looked down at her lap.

**Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart.**

**"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered.**

"No," Harry answered readily. He couldn't have killed Sirius, Ginny was right. He didn't have the heart for it.

**Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.**

Sirius glared at his Godson again.

**"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.**

**Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.**

**"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. **

"There!" Umbridge shrieked, "He confessed that he's not innocent, he should be taken back to Azkaban straight away! Madam Bones I insist-"

**"But if you knew the whole story."**

Umbridge glared at Dumbledore for interrupting her and putting an end to her argument. She sat down huffily and folded her arms.

**"The whole story?" Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."**

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus and Sirius were all shaking their heads.

**"You've got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't… You don't understand…"**

Amelia was feeling hopeful once more. It certainly sounded good…

**"I understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum… trying to stop Voldemort killing me… and you did that… you did it…"**

People looked at Harry in sympathy; they couldn't understand what that would feel like, and to know that your parents' best friend got them killed.

**Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart.**

"Damn cat!"

**Black blinked and looked down at the cat.**

**"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.**

**But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob.**

**Harry stared down at Black and Crookshanks, his grip tightening on the wand. So what if he had to kill the cat too? **

Hermione gasped and glared at Harry, who was staring pointedly in the other direction.

**It was in league with Black… If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn't Harry's business… If Black wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for Harry's parents…**

Sirius was shaking his head in denial. He cared for nothing more than Lily and James. Well, maybe the same as Remus, but still.

**Harry raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his mother and father. He was going to kill Black. He had to kill Black. This was his chance…**

The room tensed, causing Ginny to roll her eyes.

"Once again, one, he couldn't do it, two, Sirius is in the room! Need any more hints?"

People settled back into their seats, looking sheepish.

**The seconds lengthened. And still Harry stood frozen there, wand poised, Black staring up at him, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione was quite silent.**

As was the hall.

**And then came a new sound —**

**Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor — someone was moving downstairs.**

**"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE — SIRIUS BLACK — QUICK!"**

**Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harry gripped his wand convulsively — Do it now! said a voice in his head **

"Not going to happen!" Sang Fred in a sing-song voice.

— **but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harry still hadn't done it.**

**The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room,**

"What?" was the cry coming from various people around the hall. Lupin… No, he wasn't bad. Yeah, they knew he was a werewolf, but he wasn't evil.

Umbridge was glaring at the werewolf. How dare that filthy half-breed sit in _her _school as though he deserved to sit with pure witches and wizards. She would have to find something against him, but then again, it wasn't looking so good for him now, he was consorting with Black after all.

**his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.**

_**"Expelliarmus!"**_** Lupin shouted.**

**Harry's wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding. **

Now Remus was the one on the receiving end of the wary looks. He sighed, they had just started to accept him despite his werewolf status, and now this stupid book ruined it all!

**Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest.**

**Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the Dementors.**

Sirius and Harry shuddered, thinking of the vile creatures. They both hoped they would never have to come within a hundred miles of one again.

**Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice.**

**"Where is he, Sirius?"**

"Oh no, now Lupin has gone mad. Great." Said Justin. "I thought at least _he _was normal!"

Despite the comment on his sanity, Remus smiled. Justin had called him normal. He knew Remus was a werewolf and called him normal. Maybe there was hope after all.

**Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant.**

"None of us do, Harry," Said Fred solemnly, "None of us do."

**Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again.**

**Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. **

"That's it!" said Susan, "The world has gone mad. Why would _Ron _be the one Black is after?"

"No, it makes sense!" Said Cho at the Ravenclaw table, "Black was at _Ron's_ bed in first year, he simply tried to get into Gryffindor Tower, and he was heard saying, "he's at Hogwarts", but there was no proof he was after Harry. People just assumed."

By the end of this speech, many people were gaping at the Ravenclaw, including Cornelius Fudge. If she was right he was going to be in an awful lot of trouble…

**Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.**

**"But then…" Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind,**

"Does that a lot, it's _really_ annoying!" grumbled Sirius, causing Harry to smirk in amusement.

**"… why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless" — Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black,**

"Does that too."

"I get it Sirius."

**something none of the rest could see, "— unless **_**he**_** was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"**

"Okay, now I'm completely lost." Said Terry Boot, throwing his hands into the air.

Many people nodded in agreement, but Amelia frowned slightly. Switched…switched what? Houses? Names? Friends-

Suddenly her eyes widened in understanding, and she turned to stare at Sirius in horror.

**Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.**

**"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on —?"**

**But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.**

There was a few seconds silence before the Hall erupted once more.

"What?" "No!" "But Professor Lupins a good guy?"

The shouted confusion lasted for a few minutes before Dumbledore shouted for silence and resumed reading.

**Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.**

"Maybe you should get that looked at Harry, it sounds quite painful." Said Luna, dreamily, staring at a point on the enchanted ceiling quite intensly.

**"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.**

"Huh, I thought Harry would have exploded first. You learn something new every day." Commented Charlie unexpectedly.

**Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. "You — you —"**

**"Hermione —"**

**"– you and him!"**

**"Hermione, calm down —"**

"Somehow I don't think that'll happen…"

**"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you —"**

"Okay, now I'm interested," said Fred, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, "What does Hermione know about Professor Lupin? I'm very interested to find– Oh, oh I get it." He finished, looking embarrassed as people stared at him in incredulity.

**"Hermione, listen to me, please" Lupin shouted. "I can explain —"**

**Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.**

As one, Fred and George put their fingers in their ears and their heads down on the table.

**"I trusted you," he shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"**

Umbridge was listening to the book with glee. Maybe , if she was lucky, she could get the werewolf locked up as well! No doubt he deserved it, he was a half-breed after all.

**"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now — Let me explain…"**

**"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too —**

"Harsh"

_**he's a**_

_**werewolf!"**_

A few of the younger years gasped and shot scared glances at the man, who was now staring determinately at his plate, as though trying to make it disappear. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius were all glaring at anyone who seemed to be recoiling (though admittedly Sirius did make the most people cower).

**There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.**

"I think he took his secret being reviled pretty well actually." Said Ron, considering. "I mean, he didn't react at all!"

Remus laughed, bitterly.

"Well, Hermione and Sirius already knew and I hoped that Harry wouldn't judg, so I was only you I was worried about really."

Ron looked ashamed as he remembered his reaction upon hearing the revelation, and prepared himself for some abuse.

**"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid.**

"Once a teacher…"

"Always a teacher!"

**I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."**

**Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped,**

_**"Get away from me, werewolf!"**_

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Surprisingly, this came, not from Mrs Weasley, but from Charlie.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH A THING? HE CAN'T HELP IT, AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE A JUDGMENTAL, PREDJUDICED PRAT!"

Charlie was breathing heavily by the end of this speech, and, after glaring once more at his cowering younger brother, turned back to Dumbledore and waited for him to continue reading.

The rest of the hall was either gaping at the scene, or struggling to hold in their laughter at the look on Ron's face. He muttered an apology to Remus, who was looking amused but pleased at Charlie's defense of him. He relaxed, putting his arm around Tonks as Dumbledore continued.

**Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"**

**"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay…"**

**"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant… Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"**

"Both knowing Granger," said Malfoy scathingly."

**"Both," Hermione said quietly.**

Malfoy blinked, and Daphne laughed.

"You seem to know her very well Malfoy? Have a crush?"

Malfoy and Hermione gaped in horror as the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs laughed. Harry didn't know whether to be disgusted or laugh at Ron's horrorstruck face. He chose to choke on his pumpking juice instead.

**Lupin forced a laugh.**

**"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."**

"We know." Chorused the D.A members.

**"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"**

"No, that's what makes you more than just that," said Harry, "it shows that you care for others and protect their secrets. Other people would have told for gossip or in spite, but you didn't. And that's what makes you the _greatest _witch of your age. Not just the smartest."

Hermione had tears in her eyes as she beamed up at her best friend. She hugged him tightly, not noticing the scowl Ron was giving them both when Harry returned it.

Smiling at the friends, Dumbledore read.

**"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."**

**"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf," Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"**

Charlie glared at Ron and he mumbled an apology to Remus quickly.

**"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy —"**

"Snape!" George coughed, looking innocently at the scowling Potions Master.

**"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"**

"Oh no, he's still angry."

**He was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.**

**"I have**_** not **_**been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look —"**

"They really don't want to listen do they?" Said Dean to Seamus who grinned, shaking his head in response.

**He separated Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harry caught his, stunned.**

**"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"**

"What would you have done if Harry had just cursed you?" Asked Percy, speaking for the first time.

Remus paused, thinking.

"I knew he wouldn't," he finally replied, "He was acting like James, and I stopped James from arguing like that before, so I thought it would work. It usually stunned him long enough for me to explain.

**Harry didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?**

"Good" barked Mad Eye, "Always be on your guard, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he shouted, scaring a few first years who hadn't had him the previous year.

**"If you haven't been helping him," he said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"**

"Yeah!" Agreed Terry.

**"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. **

"Can't you at least tell us what that "map" does?" Asked Professor McGonagall, curious.

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.

"It's a map," Harry said at last, "it shows where everyone at Hogwarts is at any time."

Many of the students looked jealous at the prospect, and even the teachers looked interested.

"And who were these so called 'Marauders'?" Ubridge asked, sweetly, but before Harry could reply, Dumbledore answered.

"I believe, they are about to mention that Madam Umbridge, so if I could just continue…"

Umbridge scowled and motioned for Dumbledore to read. Honestly, she hadn't got quite the information she wanted about Potter, but there was still time to unveil his lies yet.

Fred and George meanwhile where looking excited. They would finally find out who the Marauders were!

**I was in my office examining it —"**

**"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.**

"Oh yeah," George said suspiciously, "How did you know that?"

Remus smiled mysteriously.

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."

"…Touché"

**"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it.**

"You _wrote_ it!" yelled Fred and George, looking at Remus with wide eyes. "_You _wrote the Maruaders Map?"

Sirius cleared his throat, drawing the attention to himself. "Actually, I would like to claim some credit for the idea, although it was Moony over there who technically wrote it."

Fred and George were now gaping in astonishment at the two adults, who were grinning like school children. Then the two twins turned on Harry and Ron.

"You knew." Fred stated, calmly.

"Yes…" replied Ron warily, wondering why they weren't over reacting.

"You knew. And yet you didn't tell us?" George continued just as calmly.

Harry and Ron exchanged terrified glances as Fred and George sprouted twin evil grins.

"THIS MEANS WAR!"

**I'm Moony — that was my friends' nickname for me at school."**

**"You **_**wrote**_** —?"**

"Yes Harry, we've established I wrote it."

"Shut up."

**"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"**

"Oh, so that's why you were outside!" Said Parvati in understanding, "Oh, that poor Hippogriff!"

**He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.**

"He used to do that it our dormitory too." Sirius commented. Fred and George nodded, staring up at Sirius in wonder. Their idol was alive and breathing!

**"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry—"**

**"How d'you know about the cloak?"**

"Father's best friend ring any bells?"

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again; shut up!"

**"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it…" said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again.**

**"The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."**

"Uh, no they weren't?" said Neville, confused, "Unless Crookshanks showed up but I wouldn't think the map showed animals.

"Yeah, cause that makes sense Longbottom!" Scoffed Malfoy, "Cause the cat is so important!"

Neville went red, and looked upset. Harry, Ron and Hermione glared at the Slytherin; Neville was actually almost right!

**"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"**

**"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"**

"No one was!"

**"No one was with us!" said Harry.**

**"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled**_** Sirius Black**_**… I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow —"**

"One of you!"

**"One of us!" Ron said angrily.**

"Stop repeating us!"

**"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."**

**He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.**

**"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.**

Amelia gasped in realisation. She had fitted all the clues together. Switching, werewolf, animagus. It all fitted! No one else had realised though – in fact, they were all staring at remus as though he had lost his mind.

**"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"**

"Good question." Said Percy, worried. He hoped Scabbers was okay.

"**Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"**

**Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise.**

**Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.**

"**What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"**

**"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly**

Many people stared at Sirius as though he was insane.

"**What d'you mean — of course he's a rat —"**

"**No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."**

"They're both mental." Someone muttered from the Slytherin table, although it was impossible to see who.

"**An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."**

Disbelieving silence followed this announcement, until Amelia spoke.

"I think we should keep reading, shouldn't we?" She said, before levitating the book out of Dumbledore's hands and turning the page…

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the end, I got tired. Anyway, I don't have time to check this right now, but I really want to get it up, so any bad grammar or spelling mistakes are (mostly) fanfiction downloading it wrong. Thx for reading!<strong>


	3. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

**So sorry it took me so long to update! Have exams and stuff going on right now, but please tell me what you think, R/R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

><p>Amelia cleared her throat and began, her voice penetrating the shocked silence reverberating around the hall.<p>

"**Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**."

Fred and George grinned at each other, and Sirius and Remus smiled wanly

**It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry was thinking.**

**"You're both mental."**

The tension in the hall was broken as many people laughed loudly.

"Ah, a man of eloquent speech," Said George, grinning at his little brother.

"To be fair, I think we all agree with him," defended Katie, "They are acting slightly odd." Harry grinned at this.

"They are odd Katie, get used to it,"

"HEY!"

**"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.**

**"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.**

**"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me… not this time, though!"**

People were looking scared now, and Tonks rolled her eyes.

"You know Sirius, you're not really helping your case."

Sirius smiled at her, "I'd like to see what you'd do in that situation."

"Fair enough."

Harry grinned, then noticed Umbridge lean over and whisper to Fudge, who smiled at whatever she said.

Harrys smiled slipped off his face, and he looked round at Hermione, who was frowning at the staff table.

**And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.**

"Sirius! You better not have hurt my son!" Mrs Weasley growled, and Sirius backed away, hands in the air as a sign of surrender.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking straight that night," he said, hastily.

Mrs Weasley glared at him, pursed her lips and, thankfully, turned back to the book. Ron looked embarrassed but pleased at his mother's concern for him.

**"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that — they need to understand — we've got to explain —"**

"Explain what?" simpered Umbridge, "Minister, Black clearly has altered their minds, this book cannot be trusted, we should arrest Black and get it over with."

At once, there was uproar, not only from the Order members, but also from most of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables as well. No matter who he was, no one deserved to be arrested without knowing the truth (although half the protesters simply wanted to cause Umbridge trouble.)

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore roared, for once looking slightly angry. He turned to Umbridge, who was still smiling her smug smile.

"Dolores," he began, smiling at her, "I have to disagree with you on that fact. How could Sirius have altered their minds, without us hearing about it?"

"Ah, but it might have happened before we started reading!" Jumped in Fudge, looking triumphant – he could still save his job! "For all we know, this is just what Potter thought he saw and heard, not the actual truth!"

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were all staring at the short man in disbelief. How far was he willing to go to save his career?

Sirius was looking angry, but a warning look from Dumbledore kept him quiet.

"With all due respect Minister," Amelia said, eyeing Fudge beadily, "Surely there is no harm in at least seeing if the story makes sense. From what we've heard already, it certainly seems…reliable.

At the end of her speech her eyes flickered to Sirius, whose eyes widened. She had figured it out! He could tell! With her on his side, he was sure to be freed.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Well," He said cheerily, "Why don't we continue?"

**"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.**

"The rat seems awfully scared…" muttered Zabini, his eyes narrowing. Was Black's story true? If so, the ministry had sent an innocent man to Azkaban for 12 years! What else had they got wrong?

**"They've — got — a — right — to — know — everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black.**

People were looking excited now, wanting to know the truth.

**"Ron's kept him as a pet!**

"Something I am now highly disgusted about." Ron said, looking slightly sick, as did his family.

**There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry — you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"**

"Now we will see," Amelia said, "If he is a murderer he won't care about Harry. If not…"

Fudge looked nervous now, for what was to come.

**Black stopped struggling,**

Muttering sprung up around the hall, and people started eyeing Sirius with less fear and more curiosity. Fudge sank into his seat, looking miserable. Black couldn't be innocent, he couldn't!

**though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.**

Molly shot a concerned look at Ron, who rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine, Mum, they were just scratches!"

"Hmm"

**"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"**

People looked alarmed at this, and shifted nervously. Fudge sat up, looking hopeful.

"Oh, come on," surprisingly, it was Susan Bones, not her mother who spoke, "Twelve years in Azkaban is enough to make you want to at least have _done_ the crime you were there for! And if Pettigrew was really responsible for framing, uh, Mr Black, I think he has reason enough to want to kill him!"

Many people were looking at her with respect, so she blushed and sank in her seat, though her aunt was looking at her approvingly.

"That's right," Ernie said, somewhat pompously, "And if he tries to kill the rat, Professor Lupin will stop him!"

This reassured a few people, though Lupin looked nervous. Great job he had done if he was supposed to _stop _Sirius from killing Pettigrew. Whoops.

**"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."**

"Ron, hate to remind you, but your leg is broken." Alicia stated bluntly. Ron scowled.

"It wasn't that painful, I thought I could walk on it!"

"You better not have done," warned Mrs Weasley, "You could have hurt yourself more! Why on earth wasn't I told about this?"

"It wasn't a big deal!"

At this point Amelia continued reading, forcing both Weasleys to shut up, scowling.

**He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, **

"Hmm,"

"MUM!"

**but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.**

**"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."**

**"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled,**

"Anger issues," sang Fred and George in unison.

"To be fair, he was just told his pet was his best friend's father's best friend," Lavender said, "I think anyone would be angry and confused."

People were staring at her now.

"You just said something logical," Terry said in disbelief, "What happened to girly Lavender?"

Lavender giggled and fluttered her eyelashes, causing people to sit back in their seats, relieved.

"Oh, there she is…"

**trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; **

Oh dear…Thought Fudge, attempting to sink lower into his seat.

**Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him am pushed him back down to the bed. **

"Thank you, Harry dear" Mrs Weasley beamed at the boy.

**Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.**

Sirius shot Harry a wounded look, making the teenager laugh and pat his godfather's head like a dog.

**"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them…"**

"Yes! Explain that Black!" Umbridge yelped, getting to her feet.

Amelia coughed, pulling Umbridge's attention towards her.

"I think they are about to," She said coldly, causing Umbridge to turn red, whether in anger or embarrassment it was unclear.

**"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.**

**"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself —**

Lupin looked at Sirius apologetically.

**until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies…**

Fred and George nodded in agreement.

**Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."**

**Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, silently:**

"Do you believe them yet?" Ginny asked Harry, who scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Well…"

**Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. **

"So that's a no then?"

"Funny."

**Their story made no sense whatsoever.**

"Hate to disagree with you, but it sort of does,"

"I know that now!"

**How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all — **

"Well that was rude…" Sirius muttered, crossing his arms. Lupin smiled.

"No Harry, Azkaban didn't make him lose it,"

"Why thank you Moon-"

"He was born like that!"

"HEY!"

The older years were looking on in confusion; their old professor was, was _teasing_ a convicted murderer!

**but why was Lupin playing along with him?**

**Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.**

**"But Professor Lupin… Scabbers can't be Pettigrew… it just can't be true, you know it can't…"**

**"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.**

"So like you Moony," Sirius said, smiling nostalgically, "Everything's schoolwork isn't it?"

"Not everything," Protested Lupin, "Just most things."

Sirius looked disbelieving, "Really? So when you had your first girlfriend, how did you meet?"

Lupin went red.

"In the library," He said quietly, to gales of laughter from those who heard.

"Yess, and what did you do on dates?" Sirius continued, looking innocent.

"Researched interesting magic. But this really isn't relevant!" He added, bright red, to those laughing their heads off. He attempted to explain with little success.

"She was– It was– Argh, keep reading Amelia!"

**"Because… because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework — the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things… and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."**

"You put a heck of a lot of effort into your homework Hermione" Fred said, shaking his head, half exasperated, half admiring. "Imagine what you could do if you put your efforts to pranking instead!"

"There will be no need for that!" McGonagall said hastily, "Miss Granger, I would award you points, but I believe I did so a few years ago."

"That's okay Professor," Hermione said, "And Fred, I think I'll stick to schoolwork rather than pranking, thanks,"

"Shame," George said, shaking his head, "Imagine if we had Hermione's brains, the Marauders Map, and Harry's invisibility cloak!"

The twins sighed, looking dreamily into space. The rest of the hall was simply laughing at the identical looks of horror that adorned the staffs' faces. Amelia smiled, but decided to put the adults out of their misery by continuing to read.

**Harry had barely had time to marvel inwardly at the effort Hermione put into her homework,**

"Oh dear, I think like Harry…"

"…Well that was rude…"

**when Lupin started to laugh.**

"Cause he's the insane one, not me!" Sirius said triumphantly. Lupin rolled his eyes in response.

**"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that here used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."**

"All three of you!" McGonagall said faintly, looking shocked, "You really were incredibly good at transfiguration, weren't you?"

Lupin smiled at her, but then turned to Colin Creevey, who was trying to get his attention.

"Sir, so was it you, Mr Black and Pettigrew who were the animagi?" he asked, excitedly.

Lupin shook his head. "I didn't become an animagus, for certain reasons I'm sure you can figure out." He said smiling.

Colin looked confused for a second before his brow cleared.

"Oh! So who was the third?"

Lupin just smiled at him, but Fred and George looked at each other with twin grins on their faces.

"Prongs," They said together.

**"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," said Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."**

"Fair enough,"

**"All right… but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began…"**

**Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. **

"That place is haunted," Justin shivered nervously, as his friends nodded in agreement. Harry, Ron, Sirius and Hermione glared at Snape, who sneered at them. Lupin shook his head sadly.

**All five of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.**

**"No one there…"**

**"This place is haunted!" said Ron.**

**"It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way.**

"It's not?" Ernie said, "But what about all the shrieks and howling?"

**"The Shrieking Shack was never haunted… The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."**

"Oh." Said Ernie awkwardly. Many of the younger years were looking at Lupin, scared, but most of the upper year Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors and even a few Slytherins were looking at him with pity instead.

Lupin himself kept his eyes firmly on the book. He did not want to live through this night again anyway; he didn't need anyone's pity.

**He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment then said, "That's where all of this starts — with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten… and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"**

"It wasn't your fault you were bitten, though," Angelina said, looking confused, "What does Sirius going to Azkaban have to do with you becoming a werewolf?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He only thinks that cause he's and idiot," He said in exasperation, "In fact, it was due to him being a werewolf that I escaped if you use that logic."

Umbridge leaned forward, hoping to hear something useful.

**He looked sober and tired.**

"Better than being drunk and tired, right Padfoot?"

"Shut up, you promised never to mention that!"

**Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said, "Shh!" She was watching Lupin very intently.**

**"I was a very small boy when I received the bite.**

"How old were you?" Tonks said softly, staring at Lupin, who smiled at her sadly.

"Four," he said, bringing gasps from the people close to him; some of the girls clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

Umbridge sneered nastily. The half-breed had been a monster for so long he barely counted as even half human any more. He should be put down.

It was lucky no one heard _her_ thoughts or she would have been in a _lot_ of trouble, from both the ministry and the population of students in the room.

**My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure.**

"Is there one now?"

"Listen"

**The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform… I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.**

"At least that's something," Ginny muttered, leaning her head against Ron's shoulder.

**"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month.**

Umbridge sneered. He was a monster all the time, not just once a month.

**It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.**

"That's so sad," Said Luna, frowning, "You shouldn't be pushed away just because you're different."

Many of the Ravenclaws shifted uncomfortably. That sounded a lot like what they did to her.

**"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. **

Many people smiled, apart from those like Malfoy who scoffed.

**He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school…"**

**Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house" — Lupin looked miserably around the room, **

**"the tunnel that leads to it — they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."**

**Harry couldn't see where this story was going, but he was listening raptly all the same.**

"Good thinking ahead there Harry," George said, trying to alleviate the tension.

**The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers' frightened squeaking.**

Sirius's eyes narrowed in anger.

**"My transformations in those days were — were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor… Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it…**

Many of the girls had tears in their eyes – Professor Lupin didn't deserve that kind of misery.

Umbridge scowled. Why were the brats feeling sorry for the half-breed? He didn't deserve pity! Then again, he didn't deserve much apart from rejection, considering what he was.

**"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black… Peter Pettigrew… and, of course, your father, Harry — James Potter.**

"Wait, wait, wait," Fred interrupted, "If Professor Lupin in Moony, like the moon, Sirius is – are you Padfoot? You know, because of the dog thing?" Sirius nodded in agreement and Fred continued. Harry was looking worried now; what were they going to do when they figured out his father had been a Marauder?

"So Moony, Padfoot, hate to say it but Pettigrew must have been Wormtail or Prongs…"

"Probably Wormtail, if this is going by their animal forms – he's a rat isn't he?" picked up George, continuing Fred's train of thought.

"So that means," They turned to Harry, who tried to hide, "Prongs must be James Potter?"

Sighing reluctantly, Harry nodded.

As one, the twin's mouths fell open.

"You're the son of a Marauder," George started,

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Fred finished, "Imagine what we could have done!"

"I think that's what he was thinking," Said Hermione, amused.

Fred and George sighed, then turned to each other.

"Looks like we gave the map to the right person," said Fred.

"Yes," mused George, "Even if he doesn't use it like we hoped." Suddenly both identical faces split into large grins.

"We're still going to get back at them for not telling us right?"

"Oh yes, this just means we can use more embarrassing stuff!"

Harry groaned, and Ron and Hermione glared at him and the twins. Amelia looked bemused, but felt it was a good time to start reading again, so as to stop the twins from getting their revenge there and then.

**"Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her…**

"That was the only story you made up, Moony," Sirius grinned, "it wasn't hard to tell you were lying,"

**I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth…**

**"And they didn't desert me at all.**

"Good," Said Parvati in approval.

**Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."**

"Wow, good friends, but how did that help?" Dean asked, confused.

**"My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.**

"Yes Harry, keep up," Fred said, as though talking to a particularly stupid three year old. Harry glared at him, but didn't reply.

**"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school,**

Sirius sat up straight, looking proud, whilst Lupin rolled his eyes and Harry laughed.

**and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. **

"They must have been good teachers if they got _Peter_ to transform," McGonagall said, shaking her head, "He was never very smart."

**Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."**

"_Fifth year_" various people exclaimed around the hall, before excited muttering broke out, no doubt wondering if they could transform that early.

McGonagall looked worried, but Dumbledore stood up and shot sparks out of the end of his wand, successfully shutting everyone up.

"I would like to remind everyone that unregistered animagi are illegal and the offence is enough to sentence one to Azkaban, as well as expulsion from Hogwarts. It is also incredibly hard, and many people end up deformed if they try without supervision."

He sat back down, to decidedly less excited whispering. Many people looked less eager to become an animagus after his speech, although a few people still looked determined, including the Weasley twins, whose mother was eyeing them warily.

**"But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.**

**"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," **

"They stayed with you!" Squeaked Parvati, "Surely that was incredibly dangerous!"

Lupin grimaced, but it was Sirius who answered.

"We were willing to take the risk if it meant helping Remus," He said seriously, "He needed our help."

Parvati looked nervous about being directly addressed by the man, but nodded in understanding.

**said Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed… Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."**

People smiled at this.

**"Hurry up, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.**

**"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there… well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night.**

"YOU DID WHAT!" Shrieked Mrs Weasley, glaring at Lupin and Sirius in horror, "What were you thinking, you could have bitten someone!"

Sirius shrugged it off, "Me and James could have stopped him." He said unconcernedly. This didn't seem to help.

"But what if you hadn't been able to, what might have happened!" Lupin looked upset, and Sirius angry.

"Molly, with all due respect, we have already had this speech three times, from Hermione, Dumbledore and Minerva, so we really could do without you telling us off as well. Remus hates that he let us do that, but honestly, it was years ago, so there's NOTHING WE CAN DO!"

Silence followed Sirius's words, and Molly looked shocked into silence.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Amelia read.

**Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check.**

Sirius through a triumphant look at Mrs Weasley.

**I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did…**

**And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."**

Fred and George glared at Harry and Ron.

**"What sort of animal —?" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off.**

"Rude, Hermione, rude!

"Oh, shut up!"

**"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"**

**"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily.**

Mrs Weasley looked guilty for yelling at them; Lupin obviously regretted it.

**"And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless — carried away with our own cleverness.**

Snape sneered.

"Arrogance, more like," he muttered, drawing a sharp glance from McGonagall.

**"I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course… he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed…"**

People looked at each other warily.

**Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. **

Sirius shook his head,exasperated.

**"All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me… and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me.**

Dumbledore smiled. It was nice to know that people valued his trust. His smile slipped as the thought about his own brother, who couldn't care less about his trust; he'd lost that when his sister died.

**He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am.**

"That's stupid," said Dean, "How is the ministry so corrupt that it doesn't let people have jobs because of something they can't help?" Many people nodded in approval, and Lupin smiled at their support, but Umbridge swelled like a bullfrog. She opened her mouth, but closed it again at a warning glance from Fudge. They could not afford to draw attention to themselves at this point.

**And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it… so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."**

"Snape?" Said Michael, voicing many people's thoughts, "What has Snape got to do with it?"

**"Snape?" said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers; for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?"**

Michael, looked part worried, part surprised at thinking the same thing as Black.

**"He's here, Sirius," said Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." **

"Did you _know_ Snape?" Asked Dean incredulously, "Well, that would explain why he hated Professor Lupin so much." He added under his breath.

**He looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.**

**"Professor Snape was at school with us.**

"Must have been fun…"

Snape glared around the hall for the source of the statement, but everyone was looking too innocent.

**He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted.**

Snape was being glared at now by most of the hall. Harry had to admire his supreme disregard of the hate being shown towards him.

**He has his reasons… you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me —"**

Umbridge leaned forward, a sickly grin on her pallid face.

People were starting to edge away from Sirius again, who groaned. They had just been starting to get used to him!

**Black made a derisive noise.**

**"It served him right," he sneered. **

"Sirius!"

"I know, I'm sorry,"

**"Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to… hoping he could get us expelled…"**

"Sure sounds like Snape," Daphne whispered to Zabini, who smirked.

**"Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "We were in the same year, you know, and we — er — didn't like each other very much.**

"Understatement of the century!" Harry snorted, causing Snape to glare in his direction.

**He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field…**

Snape scoffed, as if, Potter was a spoilt brat with everything he wanted, especially Lily. Potter stole his best friend!

**anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be — er — amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me.**

"Sirius!"

"Molly, I've told you, I don't need to be told off twice!

**Well, of course, Snape tried it — if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf**

Even people who didn't like Snape were looking worried now; no one deserved to be bitten.

— **but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life… **

Snape sneered; that made Potter seem like a hero. He wasn't he was saving his own neck!

Harry looked proud of his father but Mrs Weasley was still glaring at Sirius for doing something so dangerous to a fellow student. Finally Sirius couldn't take it.

"Look, I was young. I was reckless, I was stupid, and I regret it okay! So you all don't need to look at me with those disapproving faces, it's just pointless okay?"

The people he was referring to flushed and looked away, muttering apologies, although Molly still looked angry.

**Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was…"**

**"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"**

The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs rolled their eyes. Typical slytherin, holding onto a grudge.

**"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.**

"Oh, please tell me I'm wrong," Said Justin resignedly.

**Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.**

"I was right. Great."

Most people were either glaring at the Potions Master or looking at him in exasperation. He glared back, and Amelia spoke.

"That's the end of the chapter, so if any wants to read…" her voice trailed off as Hermione's hand shot into the air, drawing laughs from the Hall. She blushed, but levitated the book over to her, turning the page, and beginning to read.

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><p><strong>You can kind of tell I was getting bored by the end...Oh well, thx for reading, please review!<strong>


	4. The Servant of Lord Voldemort

**Hey! Sorry it's been so long, I sort of got obsessed with Merlin for a while... But anyway, here's the next chapter. Please forgive me for any typos, I was reading through this story and saw a LOT, so sorry for that. Please R/R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. My life would be infinitely better if I did.**

* * *

><p>Hermione cleared her throat and began.<p>

"**The Servant of Lord Voldemort"**

Many students looked warily at each other upon hearing this. That didn't sound promising.

**Hermione screamed.**

"Snape's face tends to evoke that reaction in people," Fred commented offhandedly, causing Ron and Harry to snort and his mother to glare at him half-heartedly.

**Black leapt to his feet. Harry jumped as though he'd received a huge electric shock.**

"**I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the Cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you …"**

People were glaring at Snape now; they were just getting some answers! Why did Snape have to come in and ruin it?

**Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph.**

"He really doesn't like them, does he? Is that why he hates you so much?" Parvati asked Harry quietly. He smiled at her bitterly.

"He probably would've hated me anyway, but for the most part, yes.

**"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. **

"What potion?" Asked Dennis Creevey curiously, staring at Lupin with something like awe.

Lupin smiled reassuringly at the young boy.

"The Wolfsbane potion. It helps me remember who I am when I'm transformed. Professor Snape kindly made it for me whilst I was a teacher."

Snaoe showed no sign of acknowledgement but his scowl deepened even further.

**And very lucky I did … lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map.**

"You left out the map?" George asked incredulously, "How could you forget to close it?"

"I was a bit distracted by the fact that an escaped convict, a dead friend, and three students were gallivanting around the grounds."

"…Fair enough."

**One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."**

"**Severus –" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.**

"Bit rude," muttered Ernie under his breath so as not to attract Snape's murderous glare.

"**I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout –"**

"He'll probably feel a bit stupid when he realises that Professor Lupin hasn't been hiding Mr Black," squeaked Colin Creevey, causing Harry, Ron and Hermione to exchange dark looks.

Alicia looked seriously at the young boy.

"Colin, I don't think Professor Snape is going to listen to them. If he did Sirius wouldn't still be on the run."

Colin looked confused.

"But why? If he'd just listened everything would be alright."

"Yes, but this is Snape," Fred chimed in, "When has he ever been one to let go of a grudge?"

"**Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything – I can explain – Sirius is not here to kill Harry –"**

"**Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically.**

"See, not even listening,"

Hermione thought it wise to continue before Snape's glare could set Fred's already red hair on fire.

**"I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this… he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin … a tame werewolf …"**

"Severus," Dumbledore warned, as those who liked Professor Lupin glared at the head table. Umbridge sneered; at least one member of staff had the correct ideas about things. Severus would be a good person to have on her side, and it shouldn't be too hard to persuade him. He clearly hated the Potter boy after all.

"**You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"**

"If you're Snape, apparently," Harry said coolly, and Sirius snorted in agreement.

**BANG! Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles; he over-balanced and fell to the floor, unable to move.**

The hall exploded into a roar of rage. How dare Snape attack Professor Lupin, whose only crime had been to try and save an innocent friend! Sirius and Tonks were shaking with anger, and some of the Gryffindors had gone as far as to stand up and shout abuse at the teacher (Fred and George came up with some incredibly imaginative adjectives), at least until Dumbledore stood up.

"QUIET!" he bellowed, and silence fell, although Snape was still on the receiving end of some dangerous glares, "Professor Snape is not to be held responsible for his actions in the past, as no one else is to be." But he gave Snape a disappointed stare that clearly stated that they would talk about this later.

To his credit, Snape had seemed unperturbed by the yelling going on around him, still sitting with a sneer upon his pallid face.

Umbridge was furious; nearly all of the school apart from the Slytherins – and some of them were looking angry! – had defended the half-breed! Oh she would have to have something done about this, very quickly indeed.

**With a roar of rage, Black started towards Snape, **

"You take him Padfoot!" Whooped Fred and George, grinning manically. They still hadn't got over the fact that their hero was sitting across from them.

**but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.**

Fred and George's faces fell.

"**Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."**

"You're insane." Katie stated, staring at Snape in horror, "They played a prank on you in school and you're willing to kill someone who may be an innocent man?"

"You must not talk to your superiors like that!" shrieked Umbridge, but Fudge waved her down. He had gone very pale. Snape had been his witness, but the man appeared to be blinded with rage and was refusing to act sensibly. Oh dear, this did not bode well…

**Black stopped dead.**

"Bad choice of words," Muttered Lupin. He was not looking forward to the discovery that he had tried to kill Pettigrew. Looking back, it would have been very unwise, but he had been blinded with hatred for the man who had caused the death of his two best friends and imprisonment of the other.

**It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.**

"Probably Snape's to be honest," Sirius admitted, "I did inadvertently try to kill him…"

It was a mark of how many people believed that he was innocent when most of those who heard laughed loudly rather than cringe away. Sirius grinned happily.

**Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or who to believe.**

"Sirius,"

"Thank you, Ron, for that helpful advice,"

**He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold of the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step towards Snape and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape – it – it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"**

"Don't bother, Hermione, he won't listen," said Lee slightly bitterly. He did not like the fact that Snape was willing to have an innocent man die because of a petty grudge. It was just sick.

"**Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter and Weasley are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."**

"**But if – if there was a mistake –"**

"**KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!"**

Most of the Gryffindors were looking angry now, Harry and Ron especially. Parvati and Lavander were glaring at Snape with surprising force; they had never really gotten on with Hermione, she was very different from her room-mates after all.

**Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointing at Black's face.**

"She understands more than you," Daphne said coolly but quietly, so that none but those closest to her could hear. Her sister, Astoria, smiled slightly and Blaise Zabini looked at her with an unreadable expression.

**Hermione fell silent.**

Fred and George gasped dramatically, causing Hermione to roll her eyes, a small smile on her lips.

"**Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you …"**

"**The joke's on you again, Severus," snarled Black. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle –" he jerked his head at Ron, "– I'll come quietly …"**

"You would have?" Justin asked disbelievingly, "They might have killed you anyway!"

Sirius looked at the boy, who did not flinch away.

"I believed Dumbledore would make him see the truth," Sirius said quietly, "I thought that the Ministry might at least listen to what I had to say."

Fudge flinched at this. He should have listened to Dumbledore all along, he knew that, but he had been too scared to admit that he was wrong. What a mistake he had made.

"**Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black … pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay …"**

"That's sick," Angelina stated, looking revolted, "You are looking forward to someone having their soul sucked out? What kind of person are you?"

It was a mark of how horrified the teachers were that they didn't comment on this remark. Umbridge had opened her mouth angrily, but Fudge shot her a warning glance. She closed her mouth, looking as though she had swallowed a lemon, but stayed silent. She had to think of a way to turn these students on Potter, she had to!

**What little colour there was in Black's face left it.**

"**You – you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat – look at the rat –"**

**But there was a mad glint in Snape's eye**

**that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.**

"You're really not going to listen are you?" Mrs Weasley said, staring at Snape in disappointment, "People's lives are at stake, and you're happy to let them die because of a schoolboy grudge? Fred and George are right, you truly are a twisted man."

Fred and George stared at their mother in disbelief, before their faces spit into identical grins.

"Mum," Fred gasped in awe, "You admitted we were right!"

Mrs Weasley glared at her sons fondly before turning her back on Snape, towards Hermione.

"**Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf.**

**Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him, too –"**

"How dare you?" McGonagall said in a low voice, shaking with anger, "How dare you threaten a fellow teacher with the Dementor's kiss, without even listening to their defence? I am utterly disgusted with you!"

Snape twitched slightly, her voice bringing back memories of his old school days, but he did not react.

Many students were gazing at McGonagall in shock at hearing her address Snape like a misbehaving child. Fred, George and Lee were grinning widely.

**Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides, and blocked the door.**

"Of course he did, always playing the hero," muttered Malfoy sullenly, earning a warning glare from Daphne Greengrass.

"**Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin –"**

"That's what you call it?" Charlie said incredulously, "'Cause I'm pretty certain you were getting in the way…"

"**Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry said. **

Lupin inwardly cringed at the idea, hating the fact that he tried to kill Harry later that night. He would never forgive himself for that, no matter what state of mind he had been in at the time.

**"I've been alone with him loads of times, having defence lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"**

Amelia sent a pointed look at Fudge, who was fidgeting with his bowler hat nervously.

"**Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way, Potter."**

"Don't think that will work…"

"**YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN –"**

Many around the hall grinned at the idea of Snape getting called pathetic by Harry, but a few looked worried about how the apparently slightly deranged man would react.

"**SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter!**

"That's supposed to be an insult?"

**I have just saved your neck, you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black-**

"He's right, you are pathetic," Padma said bravely, "You're insulting Harry's dead father and not even listening to what they have to say. It's disgusting."

Snape glared at his lap, refusing to look up and meet Dumbledore's disappointed stare. Black deserved it, and Potter had it coming. He was too full of himself to consider he might be wrong. It was just coincidence that the one time Snape was wrong was the one time Potter was right.

**Now get out of the way, or I will make you, GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"**

"Bad idea," Sang Fred quietly.

**Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step towards him, he had raised his wand.**

"Oh Harry you didn't," admonished Mrs Weasley. Harry looked down sheepishly and Sirius grinned.

"**Expelliarmus!" he yelled **

"Oh he did."

– **except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair.**

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, "You can't attack teachers, no matter how stupid they are being!"

Harry looked guiltily at his plate and the boys nearby grinned at him.

"Either that was one hell of an Expelliarmus or I think Ron may have helped in this," George pointed out, "Hermione wouldn't attack a teacher."

To his surprise, the girl in question blushed and Harry and Ron looked smug. However, Hermione continued quickly before anyone could question them on their odd behaviour.

**He had been knocked out.**

**Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. **

Throughout the hall, people's mouths fell open, staring at the Gryffindor table. Eventually Fred voiced their matching thoughts.

"Hermione Granger attacked a teacher," he said weakly, then continued with more strength, "What has the world come to?"

People started to laugh and cheer as Hermione stared at her feet, mortified.

"He was being ridiculous," she protested weakly, pointedly looking anywhere but at the pair of red-headed twins grinning at her, "I didn't know Harry and Ron were going to as well."

Dumbledore gazed serenely over the laughing students, a slight twinkle in his eye. Professor McGonagall neither congratulated nor reprimanded the three fifth years, merely stared straight ahead of her. However, Harry could have sworn he saw her lip twitch.

**Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.**

"**You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me …"**

"Yeah, cause you were doing so well on your own!" Harry said, rolling his eyes at his godfather.

"I would have thought of something!" Sirius exclaimed, affronted. Lupin smiled.

"Sure you would have Padfoot, that always worked beforehand. You. Thinking."

"Hey!"

**Harry avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing.**

That may have been so, but there was very little doubt in anyone in the hall's minds that Sirius was innocent. Only Umbridge was deluding herself into believing it was a lie now.

"**We attacked a teacher … we attacked a teacher …" Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble–"**

"That's what you're worrying about?" Daphne asked incredulously, "You're in the company of someone you suspect of being a murderer and you're worried about getting into trouble for attacking a teacher?"

Hermione looked unsure of how to respond to this, so settled for shrugging slightly and blushing profusely. She had been a bit silly back then.

**Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him.**

"Good."

**Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.**

"**Thank you, Harry," he said.**

"**I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry retorted.**

"**Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Black. "You, boy – give me Peter. Now."**

"Bit rude there Sirius,"

"Well sorry for being hasty, it's not like I'd been waiting for that moment for like, _twelve years_ or something!"

"…Fair play"

Percy was staring anxiously at the book in Hermione's hands as she read. Was it true? Was Scabbers really Pettigrew? He did not want it to be, but a sinking feeling in his stomach reminded him of the facts supporting the idea. He was almost certain Black was innocent, and he had to trust his family if they were going to let him back in. He shook his head. He couldn't believe that it had taken the prospect of Fred _dying_ to show him what a prat he had been. He had to trust them, or he would never be one of them again.

**Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.**

Ron looked faintly disgusted by this memory.

"**Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on Scabbers? I mean…" he looked up at Harry and Hermione for support. "OK, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat – there are millions of rats – how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"**

Amelia frowned. That was true, Sirius could not have known of Scabbers. Then how did he know where Pettigrew was?

Umbridge looked up hopefully, listening keenly for information she could use against Potter and Dumbledore. Fudge, however, did not even bother. It seemed he had resigned himself to the fact that Sirius was innocent, and was merely waiting for it to be confirmed.

People around the hall were murmuring their theories to their friends, but soon fell quiet when Hermione resumed speaking.

"**You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"**

**Black put one of his claw-like hands inside his robes**

Sirius glared at Harry then stared at his hands, grumbling under his breath.

**and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat, and held out to show the others.**

**It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.**

Many peoples' brows cleared and Umbridge sat back in disappointment.

"**How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.**

"**Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper."**

Fudge sank slowly into his chair, as low as he could go. He remembered giving that to Black. Oh dear, he had initiated an Azkaban breakout. The Prophet would never let this go once they found out.

**And there was Peter, on the front page … on this boy's shoulder … I knew him at once … how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts … to where Harry was …"**

"He's at Hogwarts," Mr Weasley said suddenly, bringing all eyes to him, "That's what Sirius was saying, why they thought he was after Harry. But he wasn't talking about Harry at all."

"Yeah," Terry said, "Cho was right."

Cho blushed and smiled at the praise, looking pleased with herself. Looking at her, Harry couldn't help but notice that the feeling he usually felt in his stomach had lessened somewhat from how it used to be. It was more like a feeble jolt rather than an all-out backflip now.

"**My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw…"**

"**What about it?" said Ron defiantly.**

"**He's got a toe missing," said Black.**

"Of course," Breathed Luna, drawing odd looks from around her.

"**Of course," Lupin breathed, "so simple … so brilliant … He cut it off himself?"**

"He what?"

"**Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself – and sped down into the sewer with the other rats …"**

Girls around the hall were looking horrified, and many of the boys looked sickened.

"How could he do that?" Hannah said quietly, eyes wide in horror and disgust, "He killed innocent people and betrayed his friends. That's…sick."

Sirius and Lupin nodded grimly in agreement, both lost in their own memories.

"**Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."**

"**Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right –"**

The Weasleys all scowled at the reminder.

"**Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"**

"**We– we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.**

"Yes, like when Fred, George, Charlie and Bill didn't have a snitch when they were playing Quidditch, so they enchanted Scabbers to zoom around the pitch instead." Ginny said dryly, to the panicked glares of her brothers.

"You did what!"

"Nothing Mum! And he's a traitor anyway, he deserved it" Charlie said quickly, looking around for help. To his surprise however, Mrs Weasley merely glared at him and stayed silent. Hermione waited for an outburst, then continued in slight confusion when it did not come.

"**Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again…"**

"**He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding towards Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed.**

**But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly … Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks … ever since Ron's return from Egypt … since the time when Black had escaped …**

"Ah, Harry's finally putting it together. Does this mean they'll be no more shouting?" Dean asked hopefully, but looked confused when Ron laughed.

"Mate, this is Harry. He has to shout about something soon, he won't just take their word for it. Not straight away anyway."

"**This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met.**

Lavander scoffed, having been prone to tripping over Crookshanks in the dormitory. Hermione glared at her - no one else could see how beautiful her cat really was, they all hated him!

**He recognized Peter for what he was straight away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after,** **and he's been helping me …"**

"How could a cat help you?" Neville asked slightly nervously, but Hermione interrupted before Sirius could answer.

"**What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.**

"Good on you Neville," George said, slapping the boy on the back, "You think like Hermione."

"**He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't … so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me … As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table …"**

Neville's eyes widened in realisation, and Sirius looked slightly guilty. Harry had told him how Neville had gotten into trouble for that, and he felt sorry for the young boy.

Professor McGonagall had sat up, looking slightly regretful.

"I feel I must apologise, Mr Longbottom," she started, "For the punishment I inflicted upon you. I cannot take it back, but you have my sincerest apologies."

Neville looked quite bemused by this turn of events.

"That-that's okay Professor," he said in confusion, and Professor McGonagall smiled a rare smile, only proving to befuddle the poor boy even more.

**Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. **

"Well, it does take thinking, we know that hurts you sometimes."

"Shut up, Ron!"

**It was absurd… and yet…**

"**But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it … this cat – Crookshanks, did you call him? – told me Peter had left blood on the sheets … I suppose he bit himself … well, faking his own death had worked once…"**

**These words jolted Harry to his senses.**

"**And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"**

"Oh god, more random shouting approaching," Bill said, rolling his eyes, "You do realise what you said doesn't really make sense?"

"**No," said Lupin. "Harry –"**

"**And now you've come to finish him off!"**

"**Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.**

Tonks threw up her hands in despair.

"Why?" she asked Sirius incredulously, "You're supposed to be trying to persuade them you're _not_ an evil murderer?"

Lupin took her hand and grinned at his best friend.

"Don't try and figure out how his brain works, Dora," he began, smiling at her, "The best healers at St Mungo's haven't worked it out yet."

"Hey!"

"**Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.**

"**Harry," said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down – but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father – Sirius tracked Peter down –"**

Amelia smiled. She had suspected as much from near the very beginning. Now it was merely a matter of getting Sirius a fair trial and he should be free within a couple of weeks. Looking at the man laughing with his godson, she couldn't stop the fond smile from creeping onto her face. They deserved this, both of them.

"**THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP, HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"**

"And there's the shouting. I knew it would come."

**He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over-bright.**

"**Harry … I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me … I'm to blame, I know it … the night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies – I realised what Peter must have done. What I'd done."**

Sirius turned away from the pitying looks he was receiving. He still knew it was his fault for their deaths, no matter what anyone else said.

Lupin reached over and rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. He knew what Sirius was thinking, but there was no way he was ever going to change the man's mind. He would just have to be there for his friend instead.

**His voice broke. He turned away.**

"**Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."**

"**What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.**

"**Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."**

People were leaning forwards in anticipation now. This was it, the moment of truth.

**Ron hesitated, then at long last held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.**

"He's certainly not acting like a normal rat," Bill muttered quietly. He knew of course, but it still disgusted him that that rat had spent years in _his_ house, with _his _brothers, without him even noticing.

"**Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.**

**Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.**

"**Together?" he said quietly.**

"**I think so," said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One – two – THREE!"**

There was a large intake of breath.

**A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in mid-air, his small black form twisting madly – Ron yelled – the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then –**

**It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.**

Sirius sat back in his chair looking smug, whilst gasps erupted around the room. Amelia looked satisfied and many students were whispering to each other, wide eyed and excited.

Umbridge looked like she was about to explode in anger, and Fudge was slumping in his seat looking very dejected. He was almost certain that he would lose his job from this now.

**Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed, the hair on his back standing up.**

**He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose, his very small, watery eyes.**

Lavander and Parvati looked disgusted at Pettigrew's description.

**He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.**

Sirius and Lupin's eyes narrowed. He was trying to escape, even then. They still felt hurt and angry that their so called _friend _had betrayed them.

"**Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. **

"To be fair," Lupin commented, "They used to, a long time ago."

**"Long time, no see."**

"You're very calm Professor," Susan said, impressed, "I would have reacted much worse."

Lupin smiled at her.

"Well, I grew up around Sirius and James, I was used to dealing with unexpected surprises."

"**S-Sirius … R-Remus …" Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted towards the door. "My friends … my old friends …"**

"How dare he?" Professor McGonagall seethed, eyes flashing, "How dare he pretend you were still friends after all he did?"

Sirius looked grim.

"He was always trying to find a way out. He thought he could still talk his way out of this."

Percy was staring at the book in horror. So it was true, Scabbers was Pettigrew. That man had lived in his house for twelve _years_! Percy felt rage boil up in him as he realised that the man had been a pet to his _brother_. How _dare _he?

He looked towards Ron, who wore a cold expression on his face, clearly thinking along similar lines.

**Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.**

"Be afraid…"

"**We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed –"**

"You're taking this very well Professor," Dean said in awe, "There's been no shouting or anything."

Lupin smiled at him and Sirius snorted.

"No, you need to get afraid when Mooney gets sarcastic. He could make us feel horrible without even raising his voice once!"

"**Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you … He tried to kill me, Remus …"**

"**So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so –"**

"**He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew shrieked suddenly, pointing at Black,**

"Fair enough really."

**and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing.**

Daphne shook her head in disgust.

"**He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me, too … you've got to help me, Remus …"**

**Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.**

"**No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.**

Some of the older years looked at each other uneasily. That sounded like Professor Lupin _was_ going to try and kill him. If he did that Sirius would have no proof of his innocence.

This thought reminded some people of the fact that this took place two years ago, and that Sirius was still on the run all this time later. That meant that something had gone wrong in the next few hours...

"**Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"**

"He's rambling," Luna stated, still staring dreamily at her fingernails.

"**You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"**

"**He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He Who Must Not Be Named taught him a few tricks!"**

"Like Voldemort would ever share his powers."

**Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.**

"**Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.**

**Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.**

Sirius smiled humourlessly at the thought that Wormtail was scared of him.

"**What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"**

"Of course," breathed Susan in understanding, drawing confused looks. She shook her head and looked pointedly at Hermione.

"**Don't know – what you mean, Sirius –" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.**

"Convincing."

"**You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter … they all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them … I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information … and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways … If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter –"**

"They'd kill him," Ernie said, eyes widening, "That's why he hid for all those years."

Draco scowled at the floor. That coward had hidden for all those years, never trying to help his master.

But an uneasy thought came unbidden into his mind. Surely that was what _his_ father was done, wasn't it? Hidden in plain sight and tried to pretend that he had nothing to do with the Dark Lord?

He pushed the thoughts away, closing his mind to his uneasy conscience.

"**Don't know … what you're talking about …" said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this – this madness, Remus –"**

"**I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.**

The Weasleys' eyes darkened at the reminder.

"**Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban – the spy, Sirius Black!"**

"Sirius isn't going to like that," Charlie said, grinning sadistically.

**Black's face contorted.**

"**How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bear-sized dog he had been. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter – I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us … me and Remus … and James …"**

Some of the girls were looking upset. They had sounded like they were good friends. It must have been horrible for them to be torn apart in such a manner.

Sirius and Lupin's faces were cold and solid, refusing to remember the times when Pettigrew was on their side. That Peter had died long ago, back with James and Lily.

**Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.**

"**Me, a spy … must be out of your mind … never … don't know how you can say such a –"**

"**Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backwards. "I thought it was the perfect plan … a bluff … Voldemort would be sure to come after me,**

Sirius looked stoically down at his plate, refusing to meet anyone's eyes, especially Harry's. He was afraid of what he might see, of the betrayal, disappointment and hurt that he knew should be present, all within James's face. He knew it wouldn't, but the fear was always there.

"**Would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you … it must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."**

Harry glared at the book with hatred, matched by many others around the hall. To betray your friends like that was disgusting.

**Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like 'far-fetched' and 'lunacy', but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face, and the way his eyes continued to dart towards the windows and door.**

"**Professor Lupin?' said Hermione timidly. "Can – can I say something?"**

"**Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.**

"**Well – Scabbers – I mean, this – this man – he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You Know Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"**

"Because he's a coward."

"**There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"**

"**I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half-dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him …"**

Mr Weasley looked murderous, an expression rarely seen on his good-natured face. He could not bear it when his children were in danger, and Pettigrew had lived with them for twelve years without him realising.

**Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.**

"Run out of things to defend himself with more like," Ron said coolly.

Fudge was looking depressed. He had made so many mistakes, there would be no getting out of it this time. Too many people had heard.

"**Er – Mr. Black – Sirius?" said Hermione timidly.**

**Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though being spoken to politely was something he'd long forgotten.**

"Reminded me of being in Hogwarts," Sirius said wistfully, "It had been so long."

"**If you don't mind me asking, how – how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"**

"**Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I –"**

"Stop helping him Hermione!"

**But Lupin silenced him with a look.**

"Scary that is, but of course it never worked on me."

"Really? Because I seem to recall a time involving Lily and James when you _really_ didn't know when to shut your mouth-"

"Okay, okay! Point taken."

**Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he was annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.**

"**I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me … but it kept me sane and knowing who I am … helped me keep my powers … so when it all became … too much … I could transform in my cell … become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know …" He swallowed.**

Amelia frowned. She was pleased Sirius had escaped of course, but that sounded like a serious weakness in their defence system. For one thing, Pettigrew could escape if they ever caught him, and who knew how many other unregistered animagi were out there.

**They feel their way towards people by sensing their emotions … they could tell that my feelings were less – less human, less complex when I was a dog … but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand …**

"**But then I saw Peter in that picture … I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry … perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again …"**

**Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.**

"… **ready to strike the moment he could be sure of allies … to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors…**

"**So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive …"**

"You escaped for Harry," Padma Alicia stated, "You went on the run and became the number one wanted criminal in the world, for _Harry_?"

Sirius looked at her seriously.

"Yes," he said simply. Harry smiled at him, and Sirius grinned back, ruffling the teenager's already messy hair as he did so.

**Harry remembered what Mr Weasley had told Mrs Weasley. "he guards say he's been talking in his sleep … always the same words …'He's at Hogwarts'."**

"And now Harry's figuring it out. Good."

"**It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it … it wasn't a happy feeling … it was an obsession … but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog … it's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused … I was thin, very thin … thin enough to slip through the bars … I swam as a dog back to the mainland … I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog … I've been living in the Forest ever since … except when I come to watch the Quidditch, of course …**

McGonagall rolled her eyes in exasperation.

**you fly as well as your father did, Harry …"**

**He looked at Harry, who did not look away.**

A few people exchanged hopeful glances. Harry seemed to be believing him now, that was always a good sign.

"**Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."**

**And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.**

"Finally!" Sneered Smith, "Took you long enough."

Ron glared at him.

"I can wager you would have already run off back to the castle, _Smith,_" he growled, "That _is _the cowards way after all."

Smith glared at Ron whilst Fred and George laughed and clapped their brother on the back.

"**No!"**

**Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, grovelling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.**

"**Sirius – it's me … it's Peter … your friend … you wouldn't …"**

**Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.**

"**There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.**

Fred and George laughed, and Charlie and Bill smirked angrily.

"**Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this … Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"**

"**Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin.**

Sirius looked guilty.

"I'm sorry Moony," he said quietly, "We should have trusted you."

Lupin brushed off his apologies, smiling slightly. Tonks smiled at him sadly and squeezed his hand.

"**I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.**

"**Forgive me, Remus," said Black.**

"**Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"**

"See, we're even." Lupin said firmly, ignoring Sirius's guilty looks.

"**Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"**

"No," Neville said, frowning, "If you kill him you have no proof."

Sirius grimaced.

"I know, but I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time."

"**Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.**

"What?" Parvati asked in confusion, "But Professor, without Pettigrew you will have no proof. You _can't _kill him."

Lupin smiled a weary smile, looking slightly bitter.

"I know," he admitted, and Tonks strengthened her grip on his hand, "But to be honest I was too angry. Like Sirius, I was hurt and betrayed by my friend. I may not have looked it, but imagine how you would feel if you had just found out that one of your closest friends had gone to the other side, caused the deaths of your best friend and his wife, and then blamed your other friend leaving you alone for twelve years."

His eyes had hardened through his speech whilst Parvati's grew wide in understanding.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at the werewolf with pity, but he shook his head.

"Don't be," he said, smiling forcibly, "I'm not alone anymore."

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder grimly, and Tonks leant into his arm, a sad smile upon her face.

"**You wouldn't … you won't …" gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron.**

The Weasleys stiffened unconsciously.

"**Ron … haven't I been a good friend … a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you … you're on my side, aren't you?"**

**But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.**

"Good."

"**I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.**

"Eww," Cho said, scrunching up her face in disgust, and many others seemed to think the same.

Charlie and Bill looked horrified at this revelation, whilst the twins looked murderous.

"**Kind boy … kind master …" Pettigrew crawled towards Ron, "you won't let them do it … I was your rat … I was a good pet …"**

"**If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. **

"Be careful Ron," Mrs Weasley said disapprovingly, causing Ron to roll his eyes.

**Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forwards and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.**

Now it was Ron's turn to glower.

"Stay away from her," he growled quietly, drawing a confused look from Hermione and a slight smirk from Harry's direction. They'd better get together soon, or he didn't know what he would do.

"**Sweet girl … clever girl … you – you won't let them … help me …"**

**Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.**

"As you should be."

**Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly towards Harry.**

"He'd better not…" George left the threat hanging, looking guarded.

"**Harry … Harry … you look just like your father … just like him …"**

"That little git!" Charlie exclaimed, looking furious, "How dare he say that to Harry, how could he even _speak_ about Harry's dad in front of him? After all he's done?"

Harry blinked in surprise. He didn't know Charlie very well, with him being away so often, and was touched by his concern for him. Sirius was nodding in agreement to Charlie's words, glaring angrily at the book as he did so.

"**HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"**

"Oh, and I thought the yelling had stopped," moaned Dean, covering his ears, "How can you make so much noise and have no one come to investigate? It's ridiculous!"

"**Harry" whispered Pettigrew, shuffling towards him, hands outstretched, "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed … James would have understood, Harry … he would have shown me mercy …"**

Oddly, rather than yelling, Sirius sighed deeply. At the curious looks directed at him, he explained.

"The thing is, he's right. James wouldn't have wanted us to kill him, no matter what he'd done. That's just who he was…"

He trailed off, looking wistfully into the distance. Harry shifted, wanting to comfort his godfather but not knowing what to say. Luckily, Luna broke the slightly awkward silence.

"So Harry won't let him die then," she stated happily, fingering her radish earrings. The Ravenclaws around her stared at her.

"How in Merlin's name did you get that?" Michael asked in astonishment. She looked at him, as if only just realising there were people around her.

"Harry's always told how much like his dad he is," she said, with an air of speaking to a small, unintelligent toddler, "He would react the same way as his father."

Looks of understanding appeared around the hall, and some looked sheepish at not having realised from the start.

**Both Black and Lupin strode forwards, seized Pettigrew's shoulders and threw him backwards onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.**

"Well, we're not all laughs," Sirius said, grinning, "We can be pretty terrifying when we want to be."

Lupin chuckled slightly.

"Yes, like if you switch all Padfoot's shampoo with hair removal cream," he said under his breath to Fred and George, who snorted in amusement.

"**You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"**

**Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch: he looked like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.**

Hermione paused to shake her head in disgust.

"**Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord … you have no idea … he has weapons you can't imagine … I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen … He Who Must Not Be Named forced me –"**

"What a coward!" Ginny said, looking revolted, "Everyone has a choice. Some people just make the bad ones in order to save their own neck."

Fudge flinched slightly. That sounded a lot like what he had done during the past year.

"**DON'T LIE!' bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"**

"**He – he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"**

"No way did he just ask that." Bill said in disbelief, "Only people's lives!"

"**What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. **

A few first years squeaked nervously, shying away from the gaunt looking man, who simply shook his head in amusement.

**"Only innocent lives, Peter!"**

"**You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"**

More looks of disgust.

"**THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"**

**Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.**

"Don't mess with the Marauders" Fred said, grinning gleefully, "They can use their troublemaking powers for harm as well as good."

"**You should have realized," said Lupin quietly. "If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."**

**Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.**

There was an intake of breath as everyone waited for the final blow to fall. Everyone but the Order that is, and - surprisingly - Luna, who sat cleaning her wand on her robes, humming quietly to herself.

"**NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."**

There was a slightly relieved outtake of breath, and Neville turned to Harry, confusion on his round face.

"Why though?" He asked, "you can't exactly have been too happy towards him at that moment, and I doubt it would have occurred to you that you'd need him. Surely you'd just want him dead, I know I would."

Harry met Neville's eyes and saw the double meaning behind his words. If the person who had caused Neville's parent's insanity had been in his grasp, he would not have stopped anyone from killing them. Unsure of how to answer, Harry opened his mouth, but was saved from answering as Hermione read on quickly, clearly wanting to get through the scene.

**Black and Lupin both looked staggered.**

"What did you expect, we thought you'd be just as willing to let him die as we were!"

"**Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Black snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."**

"**I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban … just don't kill him."**

Dumbledore smiled in Harry's general direction proudly, but would still not meet his eye. Harry felt a twinge of annoyance, but shook it off quickly. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

"**Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You– thank you – it's more than I deserve – thank you –"**

"**Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers – just for you."**

Lupin nodded in agreement, and Sirius muttered incoherently under his breath.

**No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.**

"Good," Professor McGonagall said approvingly, "You were acting in anger, it would not have ended well."

"**You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black. "But think … think what he did…"**

"**He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does …"**

"True."

**Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.**

"**Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."**

**Harry hesitated.**

"**I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."**

**Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.**

"**But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew, too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"**

**Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor, and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.**

"**Right," said Lupin, suddenly business-like. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."**

Mrs Weasley nodded approvingly.

**He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.**

"**That's better," he said. "Thanks."**

"**What about Professor Snape?"said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.**

"Who cares," chorused Fred and George, bringing glares from their mother and the Potions Master.

"**There's nothing seriously wrong with him,"**

**said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little – over-enthusiastic. **

Ron snorted.

**Still out cold. Er – perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this …"**

**He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. **

A few people looked slightly disturbed by the mental image, sneaking surreptitious glances at Snape and trying to imagine him held up like a puppet.

**Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.**

"**And two of us should be chained to this," said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."**

"**I'll do it," said Lupin.**

"**And me," said Ron savagely, limping forwards.**

"Uh, that's not a great idea," pointed out Justin, "You're injured, and won't be able to stop him from escaping."

Ron glared at the boy but said nothing, knowing he was right.

**Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottle-brush tail held jauntily high.**

Hermione marked the page and closed the book, setting it down on the table in front of her. After a moment, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Well, that was informative," she said briskly, "I will read next if possible-"

"One moment Minerva," Amelia interrupted, staring shrewdly at Fudge, who shifted nervously, "I would just like to say that, due to this recent information, Sirius Black will be awarded a full trial to prove his innocence or guilt. I must say that I myself am already convinced of his innocence, and am disgusted by the events that have played out at the Ministry over the past few years."

Fudge seemed to wilt under her glare, but Sirius looked like he could have kissed her. Lupin was smiling at his friend, whilst Fred, George, Ron and Harry were all grinning broadly.

Harry couldn't believe it. If all went well, he might never have to return to the Dursleys! He could finally live with Sirius!

Umbridge was looking furious, but could not say anything without turning the entire school against her. She was trapped.

McGonagall was smiling softly at the sight of the happy Gryffindors, but nevertheless quelled the sudden talking that had sprung up around the hall by summoning the book and opening it to the marked page.

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><p><strong>That took a long time... I don't know whether to do the next chapters as I don't really need to, or to move straight on to the next book, (next chapter will be The Third Task I think). Please tell me what you think in a review. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	5. The Third Task

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been like, a lifetime since I updated, this chapter took so long and I had mock exams and life and such... Sorry I'm rambling. Anyway, will try and update sooner next time. **

**In this chapter I took the idea of skipping the last few in the third book and going straight to the fourth. Enjoy and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, the plot line, Harry Potter, or any of the words in bold text.**

* * *

><p>"<strong>The Third Task" <strong>She began.

"Woah woah, wait a second," Dean interrupted, earning himself a glare, "The Third Task? Isn't that fourth year? What happened to Pettigrew?"

"I would assume," Dumbledore began, "That these extracts only contain the 'need-to-know information. I'm sure if you want to know more those involved could inform you however."

Everyone turned expectantly to face the Gryffindor table, whose residents were glaring slightly up at the headmaster.

"Uh, well," Ron cleared his throat upon realising no one else was going to speak, "There was a lot of stuff that happened, like Professor Lupin not having taken his potion and so transforming into a werewolf. Then Pettigrew escaped and Sirius almost lost his soul. Then we all got caught. Umm…"

He trailed off, looking at Hermione for help, who rolled her eyes.

"Eloquent Ronald, eloquent. Essentially though that is what happened –"

"Although I'd bet it was more interesting and death-defying." George interjected.

"– but Sirius escaped and that's all you really need to know." Hermione finished, ignoring the red-head and looking pointedly at Harry to stop him mentioning Buckbeak. There was no need for _that_ fact to get back to Lucius Malfoy.

"So now it's skipped to the next year?" Seamus asked curiously.

"It would seem so," Amelia Bones answered dryly, "The end of that year actually. I for one am quite interested in what this has to say.

Heads shot up in realisation as they took in the full meaning of the serious woman's words. Cho slapped a hand to her mouth as tears started to form in her eyes.

Clearing her throat loudly so as to break the slightly awkward silence, Professor McGonagall began to read.

**"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispered.**

**Everything Harry had seen in the Pensieve,**

"What's a pensieve?" Dennis Creevey asked curiously, drawing Professor McGonagall's glare upon him.

"A pensieve, Mr Creevey, is an object in which one can store unwanted or difficult memories, so as to view them at one's leisure," Dumbledore explained kindly, "I believe that at this point in time Mr Potter had taken an unexpected trip into my memories whilst waiting in my office."

Harry flushed in embarrassment as Hermione glared at him.

"You told us you tripped!" She said accusingly as the Twins tutted sternly at Harry behind her back."I did!" Harry protested, "Well, sort of. I didn't know I'd fall in if I touched it!"

Rolling her eyes Hermione turned away from Harry and back towards the book, much to the boy's relief.

**nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward, he had now shared with Ron and Hermione**

"What, not everything?" Ron said, looking affronted.

"No." Harry said shortly. Ron stared at him for a moment.

"Okay then."

**- and, of course, with Sirius, to whom Harry had sent an owl the moment he had left Dumbledore's office.**

There were a few snorts around the room as Umbridge glared at Harry. Sending a letter to a known criminal! It was a good thing she had started screening the mail; who knows what dangerous information he could have sent!

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it all over until Harry's mind was reeling, until he understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to siphon them off.**

"Are you going to tell us what you saw or not?" Zacharias sneered, "Because this doesn't make much sense.

Ron glared across the hall and opened his mouth to protest when Dumbledore interrupted him.

"I'm certain any important information will be made clear to us at the correct time Mr Smith, do not fear." He said, eyes twinkling slightly.

Looking slightly disgruntled at having been denied the opportunity to argue with Smith, Ron settled back in his chair.

**Ron stared into the common room fire. Harry thought he saw Ron shiver slightly, even though the evening was warm.**

Malfoy snorted slightly; of course the _Weasel_ was scared; the idiot.

**"And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"**

"Wait, what?" Said Ernie as whispers and muttering broke out around the hall. These grew louder and louder until Dumbledore stood up, looking not angry, but certainly less calm than usual.

"I can assure you that Professor Snape, whilst once a Death Eater, has changed loyalties and aided our side greatly in the war against Voldemort."

Many of the mutterings quietened down after this proclamation, though the Potions professor still received some wary glares.

Malfoy smirked slightly; the old fool really believed Snape was on his side! If only he knew…

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Harry thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve.**

**"Rita Skeeter," she muttered finally.**

"Really? Now Hermione?" Fred said incredulously.

**"How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief.**

"Exactly, little brother,"

**"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking… remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? **_**'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.'**_** This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters.**

"He did what?" Dean asked looking confused, "But he's a good guy!"

Harry waved him off, wanting to get through this chapter as quickly as possible.

"He is, it was an accident."

McGonagall contibued before anyone else could comment.

**And Winky too, remember… 'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."**

**"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Hermione shrugged.**

"Ah, I see now,"

**"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry.**

"Prejudiced git…" Someone muttered. Fudge, who had been wallowing quietly jumped and glared around for the culprit; needless to say, he was unsuccessful.

**"Yeah," said Harry, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."**

"Yeah, that's the _only _reason," George said, rolling his eyes in contempt for the pathetic minister.

**"We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it-"**

"Um, Ron," Fred said, with the air of one trying to stay calm around a wild animal, "Just so you know, you are receiving quite the glare from Charlie right now."

"We'd recommend apologising," George continued as Ron shot a wary glance at his brother, who was indeed sending him a murderous glare.

"Or leaving the castle-"

"-Maybe the country-"

"'Cause I don't think he's particularly forgiving."

"Oh yeah, remember that time when we took his broomstick-"

Charlie's glare slid onto the twins, who stopped speaking abruptly and looked to Professor McGonagall hopefully. She rolled her eyes but for once took pity on the troublemakers and continued to read.

**"Of course she doesn't," said Hermione sharply, looking up. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."**

Hagrid glanced at Hermione. Maybe he had been a bit harsh in judging Olympe, but he still could not understand why she would try and hide who she was. He wasn't ashamed of his heritage, and neither should she be.

**Hermione looked at her watch. "We haven't done any practicing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow!**

"Good, that one will help you in the task," Sirius said approvingly, "Maybe you should stay up and practise it a bit more, if you haven't yet."

"He needs sleep Sirius!" Molly said disapprovingly, "how is he supposed to concentrate if he's stayed up half the night practising spells?"

"He can sleep in Divination, can't he?"

**Come on. Harry, you need to get some sleep."**

Molly shot an approving smile at Hermione who was looking slightly amused about the whole thing.

**Harry and Ron went slowly upstairs to their dormitory. As Harry pulled on his pajamas, he looked over at Neville's bed. True to his word to Dumbledore, he had not told Ron and Hermione about Neville s parents.**

"Oh, that was when you found out," Ron said in realisation, oblivious to Hermione's glare. Neville looked down; he didn't want to hear about Harry's sympathy for him, though he was grateful he hadn't told Ron and Hermione. iT was nice that he cared.

**As Harry took off his glasses and climbed into his four-poster, he imagined how it must feel to have parents still living but unable to recognize you.**

Neville stared determinately at his empty plate, steadily ignoring the pitying glances sent he way. Harry had it worse; at least Neville got to see his parents.

**He often got sympathy from strangers for being an orphan, but as he listened to Neville's snores, he thought that Neville deserved it more than he did.**

**Lying in the darkness, Harry felt a rush of anger and hate toward the people who had tortured Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom…**

"You're not alone there Harry," Lupin said darkly. He remembered Frank from their school years; he had been one of the prefects when they first arrived, and had actually been nice to him before the Marauders even were. He remembered exactly how horrified he had felt when he heard the news, right after Lily and James. He had thought he couldn't feel more grief after they had died; he had been wrong.

**He remembered the jeers of the crowd as Crouch's son**

"Wait, it was _Crouch's_ _son_?" Parvati exclaimed, "But he was so anti-Death Eaters!"

Sirius looked at her, eyes holding a hint of the darkness he received from his years in Azkaban.

"Sometimes, even the lightest people can create darkness," he said solemnly, "Crouch was _too _into his work. Should have spent more time with his son, less at the office."

Parvati looked unsure as to how to reply to that, and settled for nodding uncertainly at the recently pardoned criminal.

**and his companions had been dragged from the court by the Dementors… He understood how they had felt… Then he remembered the milk-white face of the screaming boy and realized with a jolt that he had died a year later…**

People looked conflicted at this; no one deserved the dementors, but Crouch's son seemed to be testing that boundary.

**It was Voldemort, Harry thought, staring up at the canopy of his bed in the darkness, it all came back to Voldemort… He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives…**

"Well said," Tonks murmured, remembering the initial parchment listing those who died. It all came down to Voldemort in the end. It was always Voldemort.

**Ron and Hermione were supposed to be studying for their exams, which would finish on theday of the third task, but they were putting most of their efforts into helping Harry prepare.**

Ron attempted to sink into his chair at the stern expression upon his mother's face, although, fortunately, she refrained from interrupting; McGonagall might have had a seizure.

**"Don't worry about it," Hermione said shortly when Harry pointed this out to them-**

"Wait, you're telling me Hermione said that?" George said incredulously, "_Hermione?" _He shook his head, tutting disapprovingly.

"Harry you're a bad influence on her, she should be concentrating on schoolwork, not helping you in the task!"

Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly, not deigning to respond to that comment.

**-and said he didn't mind practicing on his own for a while, "at least we'll get top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd never have found out about all these hexes in class."**

"Yeah, having a decent teacher would help…" Sirius muttered, shooting a glare towards the head table at Umbridge and Fudge. Umbridge sneered at him in obvious disgust, whereas the Minister cringed away from the murderous gaze of the ex-convict.

**"Good training for when we're all Aurors," said Ron excitedly, **

"Ha!"

"Shut up Fred!"

**attempting the Impediment Curse on a wasp that had buzzed into the room and making it stop dead in midair.**

"Well done Ron," Lupin said approvingly, smiling at the teenage; once a teacher always a teacher after all. Ron looked oddly pleased with himself, which may have had something to do with the impressed glances Lavander was directing at him across the table.

Hermione scowled at her fork as though it had done her a grievous insult.

**The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term.**

Sad glances were exchanged in the memory of the aftermath of the much-looked-forward-to event.

**Harry was practicing hexes at every available moment. He felt more confident about this task than either of the others. **

"Don't get cocky, it makes you unaware." Moody growled, his magical eye spinning to focus upon Harry, who shifted uncomfortably and muttered apologies under his breath.

**Difficult and dangerous though it would undoubtedly be, Moody was right: **

"Well, that clearly wasn't me; that would be terrible advice!"

**Harry had managed to find his way past monstrous creatures and enchanted barriers before now, and this time he had some notice, some chance to prepare himself for what lay ahead.**

"Wait, when have you done stuff like this before?" Justin asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.

"Uh," Ron began, "I guess the stuff guarding the Philosopher's Stone stuff was the most similar…"

He received blank looks for his feeble attempt at explanation.

"The what?" Michael Corner asked after a short pause. Once it was clear that Ron had no intention on answering the boy, Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up where Ron had left off.

"Honestly Ronald," She said, glaring at him before turning to the Ravenclaw table, "The Philosophers Stone was a stone that produced the Elixir of life, invented by Nicholas Flammel. It was protected here at Hogwarts during our first year, but Harry, Ron and I learnt that…someone…was planning on stealing it, so we tackled the various barriers protecting it, which included winning a giant chess game, solving riddles and getting past a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy."

She said this all in one breath very fast, leaving many people still trying to understand as she turned away. Eventually, Terry Boot spoke.

"A three-headed dog…named Fluffy?"

Sighing heavily in exasperation, Hermione pointedly turned back to the head table, whose residence had been watching with some amusement. Professor McGonagall, getting the hint, continued.

**Tired of walking in on Harry, Hermione, and Ron all over the school, Professor McGonagall had given them permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom at lunchtimes. **

"Aw, she likes you!"

"Mr Weasley!"

"Sorry, Professor."

**Harry had soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers;**

Moody nodded his head in approval.

**the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Hermione's that would make his wand point due north, therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right direction within the maze.**

"Oh, I like that one," Tonks said suddenly, "Got me out of some tight spots as an Auror."

Sirius snorted disbelievingly.

"Yeah," he said, "If you count 'tight spots' as getting lost on the way home from the shops ten minutes down the road."

His cousin glared at him, her hair taking on a tinge of red.

"That was one time, Sirius. One time!

**He was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, though. **

"Really?" Dean asked, "You never seem to during… whenever I've see you perform it."

He had been about to mention Harry's teachings during the D.A meetings, but out of the corner of his eye had seen Umbridge lean forwards slightly in her chair, clearly hoping for some incriminating evidence. Currently she sat back down, disappointment etched into her features at the lack of illegal activity.

Harry grinned at Dean knowingly.

"I got better." He replied simply, smiling slightly at his roommate.

**This was supposed to cast a temporary, invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Hermione managed to shatter it with a well-placed Jelly-Legs Jinx, and Harry wobbled around the room for ten minutes afterward before she had looked up the counterjinx.**

"I still think she knew the counter-jinx." Ron commented mildly, ignoring Hermione's blushing glare and Harry's amused smirk.

"Don't be silly Ron," Hermione dismissed, still red, "I don't know _every_ jinx and charm."

"Yeah," countered Ron, undeterred, "But you got 112% in your Charms exam. Forget You-Know-Who Harry, Hermione's the one you need to watch out for; she'll have you wobbling into battle before you even started!"

There were a few giggles of laughter from the surrounding company as Hermione whacked Ron over the head with (rather ironically) her Charms book.

**"You're still doing really well, though," Hermione said encouragingly, looking down her list and crossing off those spells they had already learned. "Some of these are bound to come in handy."**

**"Come and look at this," said Ron, who was standing by the window. He was staring down onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?"**

"Ooh," Fred sang, "Has Ronnie got a crush?"

He then cowered under the combined glares from his younger brother and his mother. However, he later confided in Harry and Hermione that it had been worth it just to see Malfoy's horror-stricken face.

**Harry and Hermione went to see. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a lookout; both were smirking.**

"Uh, oh…"

**Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.**

**"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," said Harry curiously.**

"A what?" Daphne Greengrass asked, looking confused. Hermione exchanged a wary glance with Harry before responding.

"A walkie talkie, they're muggle devices that allow the users to communicate over a short distance. Of course they don't work around Hogwarts due to the magical field surrounding the castle, but usually they're very effective."

Oddly, Daphne didn't turn her nose up at the idea of a muggle device. In fact, she seemed interested in what Hermione had to say – this was more than could be said for the Weasley Twins who were pretending to snore with their heads on their arms. They soon sat up after two swift cuffs around the head from their mother.

**"He can't be," said Hermione, "I've told you, those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts.**

Sniggers could be heard as Hermione blushed at the repetition.

**Come on, Harry," she added briskly, turning away from the window and moving back into the middle of the room, "let's try that Shield Charm again."**

**Sirius was sending daily owls now.**

"You kept in touch then?" Neville asked curiously, "Wasn't that dangerous?"

Sirius pondered the question.

"Harry seemed to think so," he said, winking at his godson, "But there wasn't much they could do. Intercepting owl post is illegal and highly wrong on moral accounts, and anyway I wasn't really worried about them finding out I was in the country. The Prophet was always guessing at where I was."

He said the last sentence in a scathing tone, showing his opinion of the newspaper clearly. Umbridge had swelled like a bullfrog at the comment about intercepting post, obviously hearing the accusation behind the seemingly innocent statement. Professor McGonagall however, anticipating the explosion, hastily took up from where the book left off.

**Like Hermione, he seemed to want to concentrate on getting Harry through the last task before they concerned themselves with anything else. He reminded Harry in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not Harry's responsibility, nor was it within his power to influence it.**

_But it was though, _Harry thought bitterly. _If only I hadn't been stupid enough to make him take the cup with me._ No matter what his friends said, it _was_ his fault Cedric had died. That was simply the truth.

_**If Voldemort is really getting stronger again, he wrote, my priority is to ensure your safety.**_

_**He cannot hope to lay hands on you while you are under Dumbledore's protection,**_

Now Sirius snorted bitterly at his own words. Lupin elbowed him in the ribs.

_**but all the same, take no risks: Concentrate on getting through that maze safely, and then we can turn our attention to other matters.**_

**Harry's nerves mounted as June the twenty-fourth drew closer, but they were not as bad as those he had felt before the first and second tasks.**

"Really? I thought they'd be worse…" Bill mused thoughtfully. Harry looked at him blankly.

"You didn't see me before the first two," He said, "I had no idea what was going on."

Bill chuckled slightly but did not reply, allowing McGonagall to continue the story.

**For one thing, he was confident that, this time, he had done everything in his power to prepare for the task. For another, this was the final hurdle, and however well or badly he did, the tournament would at last be over, which would be an enormous relief.**

There were a few sad smiles at the foreboding the statement implied.

**Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. The post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment, folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front-**

Tonks and Lupin smiled at Sirius upon hearing this, who straightened with pride and grinned at his godson.

**-but Harry appreciated it all the same.**

"I liked it, it was a good card," Harry reassured him as the ex-convict was looking slightly disgruntled, "It was better than most I could have gotten."

**A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it.**

"Oh, I remember that," Fred grimaced, for once serious, "That was horrible."

Percy sank slightly into his chair, reminded suddenly of his part to play in the articles that followed the one produced that day. That had been the one that started the discrediting of his brother's friend, and he had played a part in making it happen. He could only hope that, in time, his family – and Harry – would forgive him.

**"What?" said Harry and Ron together, staring at her. "Nothing," said Hermione quickly, trying to shove the paper out of sight,**

"Smooth, Hermione" Ron said, rolling his eyes.

**but Ron grabbed it. He stared at the headline and said, "No way. Not today. That old cow."**

"Subtle Ronald," Hermione replied scathingly. Ron glowered at her, as did Lavander, who whispered something into Parvati's ear causing the pair of them to burst into fits of laughter.

Ron stared looking confused, and Hermione blushed and looked down.

**"What?" said Harry. "Rita Skeeter again?"**

**"No," said Ron, and just like Hermione, he attempted to push the paper out of sight.**

Fred looked like he wanted to comment, but seeing Hermione and his brother's expressions he wisely decided against it.

**"It's about me, isn't it?" said Harry.**

**"No," said Ron, in an entirely unconvincing tone.**

Malfoy snorted in amusement, drawing glares from Ron's friends (and some not-so friends – it was Malfoy, everyone would glare.)

**But before Harry could demand to see the paper Draco Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall from the Slytherin table.**

**"Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?"**

The glares intensified.

**Malfoy was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet too. Slytherins up and down the table were sniggering, twisting in their seats to see Harry's reaction.**

Malfoy was spared as the glares shifted from him to the entire Slytherin table, so much so that the entire house seemed to wilt under the pressure.

**"Let me see it," Harry said to Ron. "Give it here."**

**Very reluctantly, Ron handed over the newspaper. Harry turned it over and found himself staring at his own picture, beneath the banner headline:**

_**'HARRY POTTER DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS'**_

_**The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous,**_

_**writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School.**_

_**Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school,**_

"And the lies begin…" Harry muttered in annoyance, receiving a few pitying glances which he pointedly ignored.

_**and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him).**_

Malfoy seemed to want to agree with this statement, but wisely held his tongue. Now that it was made known that Harry had an ex-convict for a godfather, taunting the boy in public was less appealing than usual.

_**On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.**_

_**It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potters brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You- Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.**_

_**"He might even be pretending," said one specialist. "This could be a plea for attention."**_

_**The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public.**_

_**"Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year.**_

"You-"Ron said a very rude word that caused Mrs Weasley to exclaim "Ronald!" and Hermione to glare at him disapprovingly. Malfoy glared at the angry red-head, but didn't respond. There was an awful lot of Weasleys present at the table, and he had always been taught not to provoke when he was outnumbered.

_**"There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy.**_

_**It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power."**_

Umbridge sneered in approval of Malfoy's words, whereas most of the hall was torn between shooting disgusted looks at Malfoy or glaring at Umbridge. It ended up around half and half.

_**Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art.**_

Some people looked uneasy at this reminder, glancing warily at Harry from where they sat; the looks were pointedly ignored.

_**Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue "as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers." Similarly, "anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves**_

Sirius growled in a very dog-like fashion and Tonks' hair turned a dark, angry red.

_**and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence."**_

"Or good taste in friends." Harry said loudly, looking straight at Umbridge as he spoke. The toad-like woman looked at him, smiling a dangerous smile that foretold trouble.

Lupin and Hagrid, however, sent grateful smiles his way as many students nodded in agreement.

_**Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.**_

_**Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening.**_

**"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" said Harry lightly, folding up the paper.**

"That's one way to put it."

**Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were laughing at him, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes.**

"Disgusting," Amelia Bones said, looking disapprovingly at the Slytherin table.

**"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron said. "There's no way she was there,there's no way she could've heard -"**

**"The window was open," said Harry. "I opened it to breathe."**

**"You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione said. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"**

Many people looked slightly confused, but Harry, Ron and Hermione deliberately ignored their questioning stares.

**"Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" said Harry. "You tell me how she did it!"**

**"I've been trying!" said Hermione. "But I… but…"**

**An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.**

**"Are you all right?" said Ron, frowning at her.**

**"Yes," said Hermione breathlessly. She ran her fingers through her hair again, and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkie-talkie. Harry and Ron stared at each other.**

**"I've had an idea," Hermione said, gazing into space. "I think I know… because then no one would be able to see… even Moody… and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge… but she's not allowed… she's definitely not allowed… I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library - just to make sure!"**

"You know, I really hate it when you do that…" Ron grumbled, "You could at least let us know your _theory._"

Hermione smiled at him, but did not speak.

**With that, Hermione seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.**

Ron continued grumbling under his breath.

**"Oy!" Ron called after her. "We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey," he said, turning back to Harry, "she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam. What're you going to do in Binns's class – read again?"**

**Exempt from the end-of-term tests as a Triwizard champion, Harry had been sitting in the back of every exam class so far, looking up fresh hexes for the third task.**

"That surely can't be good for their studies," Mrs Weasley fretted, "What if they had important exams?"

Amelia Bones opened her mouth to answer but closed it again as Mrs Weasley was hushed by her surrounding children.

**"S'pose so," Harry said to Ron; but just then. Professor McGonagall came walking alongside the Gryffindor table toward him.**

**"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.**

**"But the task's not till tonight!" said Harry, accidentally spilling scrambled eggs down his front, afraid he had mistaken the time.**

"Well done, Potter," Malfoy sniggered quietly, finally regaining his courage enough to speak, although not enough to say the statement in front of the large congregation of red-heads at the Gryffindor table who were currently laughing uproariously at the book description.

"Honestly Harry," George shook his head, "That was a waste of good eggs! What were you thinking?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly in response, grinning at his friends.

**"I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." She moved away. **

"She better not have invited the pigs who are your so-called guardians," Sirius interrupted cheerfully, "I find dogs are much better. Cleaner. Friendlier too. By the way," he turned to look at his godson, "I think we need a trip to the ministry – after my name's been cleared of course; otherwise that could be messy. We need to clear up a little matter of guardianship."

Harry's jaw dropped and his mouth spread into a broad grin that spread across his face.

"Seriously?" He said, "I'm actually going to be able to live with you? For real this time?"

"Why of course Siriusly," Sirius joked, "But yes; I don't want you to go back to _them_ for an extended period of time – not at all if possible."

Harry, Ron and Hermione shared ecstatic smiles, but Dumbledore looked a bit uncomfortable. He would really have to check on the blood wards and see if their protection was in any way duplicable. He wanted Harry and Sirius to be happy as much as they did, but Harry's protection did take top priority after all.

**Harry gaped after her.**

**"She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked Ron blankly.**

"No."

**"Dunno," said Ron. "Harry, I'd better hurry, I'm going to be late for Binns. See you later."**

"Such a supportive friend," Fred said approvingly, "Nice to know you're _almost_ as important as a dead History professor, Harry."

**Harry finished his breakfast in the emptying Great Hall. He saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Cedric as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. Krum slouched off to join them shortly afterward. Harry stayed where he was. **

"It was nice of them to do that," Tonks interjected, "The champions must have been really worried; giving them a surprise day with their parents was a really nice thing to do."

Dumbledore smiled serenely down at her.

"That was the idea, Nymphadora."

**He really didn't want to go into the chamber. He had no family - no family who would turn up to see him risk his life, anyway.**

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley admonished the boy, "Of course you have family! We're your family. All of us."

"She's right Harry," Mr Weasley put in quietly, "You may not have red hair, but you will always be a member of our family."

"And mine," Remus added, smiling at Harry, "Although I was more a part of yours to be honest. i was always welcome at the Potters."

"Same here," Sirius grinned, "You'd be part of my family but even _I _don't want to be part of my family so I won't offend you by calling you a Black."

Harry looked around at the understanding, smiling faces surrounding him and felt a lump rise in his throat. Unable to speak, he simply nodded in acknowledgement. Taking pity on him, McGonagall picked up where she had paused in the text and continued.

**But just as he was getting up, thinking that he might as well go up to the library and do a spot more hex research, the door of the side chamber opened, and Cedric stuck his head out.**

**"Harry, come on, they're waiting for you!"**

**Utterly perplexed Harry got up. The Dursleys couldn't possibly be here, could they?**

"Seriously, they're the only ones you think of when someone says family?" Ron asked incredulously, "Mate, family doesn't end with blood. Learn that."

**He walked across the Hall and opened the door into the chamber. Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his father's hooked nose. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle, was holding her mother's hand. She waved at Harry, who waved back, grinning.**

"Ooo ooo," Fred and George sang in unison, "You didn't tell us you liked blondes, Harry!"

Harry went bright red and glared at the twins who laughed along with the rest of the hall. With the exception of Ginny, although no one saw her glaring at her spoon as though she held a personal vendetta against it .

**Then he saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.**

Harry smiled at the pair in silent thanks, not bothering to interrupt again.

**"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as he smiled broadly and walked over to them. "Thought we'd come and watch you. Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.**

**"You all right?" said Bill, grinning at Harry and shaking his hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."**

"That you were," Charlie agreed, "I never really got a chance to congratulate you. That was some amazing flying – the way you got the Horntail to take off? Genius!"

"Oh god, don't get him started," Ron groaned, "Through that whole summer, all we heard was 'You should have seen his flying!' and 'Never seen anything like it!'" He glared at Harry, "It's your fault for combining his two favourite things; flying and dragons.

Charlie cuffed his brother over the head lightly, grinning in embarrassment.

"Come on, I wasn't that bad," he protested lightly, "You made it sound worse."

"I don't know," Ginny spoke up before her brothers could voice their thoughts, "Flying and dragons – I'm surprised you didn't have an aneurism!"

Harry laughed, causing Ginny to grin at him. Their eyes met for a moment until Ginny looked away quickly, a slight tinge to her cheeks.

Bill noticed this interaction, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

**Fleur Delacour, Harry noticed, was eyeing Bill with great interest over her mother's shoulder. Harry could tell she had no objection whatsoever to long hair or earrings with fangs on them.**

Now all thoughts of Ginny's love life was driven from Bill's mind as he was suddenly subject to his brother's cat calls and mothers piercing stare. Luckily, the twins did not pursue the subject and his hard stare was enough to cause McGonagall to hastily begin reading before Mrs Weasley could start an interrogation.

**"This is really nice of you," Harry muttered to Mrs. Weasley. "I thought for a moment - the Dursleys -"**

"For God's sake, Harry!"

**"Hmm," said Mrs. Weasley, pursing her lips. She had always refrained from criticizing the Dursleys in front of Harry, but her eyes flashed every time they were mentioned.**

"Good," Sirius said approvingly, "Nice to know _someone_ has their head screwed on around here."

He didn't look at Dumbledore, but the slight edge to his voice made his opinion on Harry's place of upbringing clear.

**"It's great being back here," said Bill, looking around the chamber (Violet, the Fat Lady's friend, winked at him from her frame).**

"Really, Bill? Even the paintings?" George shook his head in shame, "And to think I looked up to you."

**"Haven't seen this place for five years. Is that picture of the mad knight still around? Sir Cadogan?"**

Now the entire 2nd year onward Gryffindor section of the hall groaned in unison, each one remembering the unpleasant situation without the Fat Lady that occurred in Harry's third year.

Sirius was confused as to the amount of glares he was suddenly on the receiving end of.

**"Oh yeah," said Harry, who had met Sir Cadogan the previous year.**

**"And the Fat Lady?" said Bill.**

**"She was here in my time," said Mrs. Weasley. "She gave me such a telling off one night when I got back to the dormitory at four in the morning -**

"Uhh…"

**"What were you doing out of your dormitory at four in the morning?" said Bill, surveying his mother with amazement.**

"I think we all want to know that," Sirius said, eyes twinkling with mischief. Mr and Mrs Weasley were now blushing furiously, "What could you have been doing at four in the morning-"

"Okay okay!" Ron nearly shouted, "We really don't need to know!"

Many of the hall's residents were now laughing at the Weasley children, whose faces were a similar shade to their hair.

**Mrs. Weasley grinned, her eyes twinkling.** **"Your father and I had been for a nighttime stroll," she said.**

"Oh GOD!"

"Ronald!"

**"He got caught by Apollyon Pringle - he was the caretaker in those days - your father's still got the marks."**

"…And now I'm scarred. Forever."

From the faces in the hall, it seemed that nearly everyone agreed with that statement.

**"Fancy giving us a tour, Harry?" said Bill.**

**"Yeah, okay," said Harry, and they made their way back toward the door into the Great Hall. As they passed Amos Diggory, he looked around.**

**"There you are, are you?" he said, looking Harry up and down.**

"Ah." Susan muttered under her breath, "This could be awkward."

**"Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric has caught you up on points, are you?"**

People were torn between looking annoyed at the obvious rudeness towards Harry and feeling pity towards to man who would in a few short hours from then on would lose his son.

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"Ignore him," said Cedric in a low voice to Harry, frowning after his father. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeters article about the Triwizard Tournament – you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."**

Many people smiled sadly. Cedric had been such a nice guy; it would have been so easy to just accept what his dad was saying, but he was protecting Harry anyway. Fate was cruel sometimes.

**"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?"said Amos Diggory, loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. "Still… you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"**

Fred, George, Alicia, Katie and Angelina scowled at this, remembering their defeat at Cedric's hands two years previously. They then corrected their expressions, feeling slightly guilty at thinking badly of the seeker at this time.

**"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"**

Fudge jumped at the mention of the ministry before sinking a little more at the reminder of the corruption of the society he had built. He was so fired.

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry, but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away.**

Harry flinched slightly at this; Mrs Diggory had been so understanding in the hours following the third task. She could easily have blamed him for her son's death, but she didn't even take the money. She didn't deserve what had happened.

**Harry had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with Bill and Mrs. Weasley, showing them the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. Mrs. Weasley was intrigued by the Whomping Willow, which had been planted after she had left school,**

Remus stirred slightly at the reminder, sharing a slight grin with Sirius at the reminder of their childhood place of escapades.

**and reminisced at length about the gamekeeper before Hagrid, a man called Ogg.**

**"How's Percy?" Harry asked as they walked around the greenhouses.**

Percy looked up, surprised and touched at having been mentioned. It was nice of Harry to have asked about him; he was always under the impression that Harry didn't like him very much, but here he was going out of his way to ask about him.

His shoulders slumped slightly as the guilt he felt for his role in the slander of the teenager increased tenfold.

**"Not good," said Bill.**

**"He's very upset," said Mrs. Weasley, lowering her voice and glancing around.**

**"The Ministry wants to keep Mr. Crouch's disappearance quiet, but Percy's been hauled in for questioning about the instructions Mr. Crouch has been sending in. They seem to think there's a chance they weren't genuinely written by him. Percy's been under a lot of strain. They're not letting him fill in for Mr. Crouch as the fifth judge tonight. Cornelius Fudge is going to be doing it."**

"You would have been better, Perce," Fred said, not even bothering to lower his voice. This time, Umbridge didn't comment on his blatant disrespect. It seemed she was finally getting the hint to stay quiet.

**They returned to the castle for lunch.**

**"Mum - Bill!" said Ron, looking stunned, as he joined the Gryffindor table. "What're you doing here?"**

"Every teenager's nightmare," Ernie said, shaking his head, "A parent appearing at school in the middle of exam time."

**"Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. How was your exam?"**

**"Oh… okay," said Ron. "Couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few.**

"Wait, you actually said that," Michael Corner asked incredulously, "You could have, I don't know, lied or something!"

"Ah yes," Fred said seriously, "But that, my friend, would require a sense of cunning. Ronnie wasn't in Slytherin for a reason, you know."

Ron went red and muttered under his breath, seemingly not sure whether that was an insult or a compliment. Many at the Slytherin table were also looking equally confused, not sure whether to be offended or not – in the end most settled for a form of sneering indifference.

**It's all right," he said, helping himself to a Cornish pasty, while Mrs. Weasley looked stern, "they're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard."**

**Fred, George, and Ginny came to sit next to them too, and Harry was having such a good time he felt almost as though he were back at the Burrow; he had forgotten to worry about that evening's task,**

"Smart, Harry, smart."

"Shut up."

**and not until Hermione turned up – **

"Well done, Hermione!" Ron said, shaking his head in disappointment, "You reminded him of his horrifying task in the near future! Though you always have that effect on me, so-"

He cut off here as Hermione punched him in the shoulder and he took to nursing his wound instead.

**halfway through did he remember that she had something to tell them.**

**"Are you going to tell us -?"**

**Hermione shook her head warningly and glanced at Mrs. Weasley.**

Mrs Weasley frowned slightly at this. They should be able to speak freely around her; she was Ron's mother!

**"Hello, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley, much more stiffly than usual.**

**"Hello," said Hermione, her smile faltering at the cold expression on Mrs. Weasley's face.**

"Wow, what's up with you, Molly?" Sirius asked in confusion, "I thought you liked Hermione?"

"I do!" Mrs Weasley protested hastily, "Of course I do. It was a mistake, that's all. Please continue, Professor."

She motioned for McGonagall to keep reading looking extremely ashamed and embarrassed.

**Harry looked between them, then said, "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because Hermione's not my girlfriend."**

"Oh," Sirius said, and many in the hall looked much less confused, "Wait, you _believed_ that?"

"Witch Weekly used to be reliable," Mrs Weasley snapped angrily, "I apologised and I think we should stop commenting on every tiny little thing!"

"Okay, okay!" Sirius said, holding up his hands in defense, muttering under his breath, "Don't get your panties in a twist…"

It was probably a good decision on Professor McGongall's part to keep reading, otherwise it appeared that Mrs Weasley may have committed a very messy murder right in front of the Minister of Magic and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement.

**"Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley "No - of course I didn't!"**

"Course…"

"Ronald!"

**But she became considerably warmer toward Hermione after that.**

Not even Fred and George thought to comment on this fact.

**Harry, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley whiled away the afternoon with a long walk around the castle, and then returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking.**

This was in stark contrast to his appearance now. Although he was still silent and serious, his stance had the defeated air of a man whose world has recently crashed around him, and who knew it was his own fault.

**Madame Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Harry thought her eyes looked red. Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her.**

Many girls smiled at the half-giant, who blushed deep red and shifted, knocking over three goblets as he did so.

**There were more courses than usual, but Harry, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. **

"Okay, _now_ you get nervous. About time too." Charlie rolled his eyes in exasperation.

**As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.**

**"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."**

I hushed silence fell upon the hall. In that moment everyone had suddenly realised that this was it. In a very short period of time, they were going to hear about the death of a fellow student. A friend.

**Harry got up. The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding him; the Weasleys and Hermione all wished him good luck, and he headed off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor.**

**"Feeling all right. Harry?" Bagman asked as they went down the stone steps onto the grounds. "Confident?"**

**"I'm okay," said Harry. It was sort of true; he was nervous, but he kept running over all the hexes and spells he had been practicing in his mind as they walked, and the knowledge that he could remember them all made him feel better.**

No one spoke. A subdued air had fallen upon the hall, and none of them could bring themselves to break the quiet.

**They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.**

**Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.**

Still no one spoke. They needed to understand, and no one wanted to miss anything.

**"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"**

**The champions nodded.**

**"Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.**

**"Good luck. Harry," Hagrid whispered,**

"Favouritism," Malfoy muttered, earning a glare from Daphne Greengrass for his breaking of the silence surrounding them.

**and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.**

**"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!**

The tension in the hall was so thick Harry could almost taste it. He closed his eyes. As much as he didn't want to relive this experience, now that it was happening he wished he could get it over with. Why was he wasting time describing everything? It was so annoying!

**Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" **

A few Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs grinned slightly, but no one had it in their heart to cheer.

**The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"**

**Harry could just make out Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione applauding Fleur politely, halfway up the stands. He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him.**

**"So… on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"**

**He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.**

There was an intake of breath at the words. This was it. Now they would be relying solely off Harry's description of events. There was an atmosphere of an almost horrified anticipation as many people sat forwards in their chairs in curiosity and suspense.

**The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowdwas silenced the moment they entered the maze.**

**Harry felt almost as though he were underwater again.** **He pulled out his wand, muttered, "Lumos," and heard Cedric do the same just behind him. After about fifty yards, they reached a fork. They looked at each other.**

**"See you," Harry said, and he took the left one, while Cedric took the right.**

**Harry heard Bagman's whistle for the second time.**

**Krum had entered the maze. Harry sped up. His chosen path seemed completely deserted. He turned right, and hurried on, holding his wand high over his head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight.**

"Strange…" Bill muttered quietly, brain racing at the information. Surely he should have met an obstacle by now."

**Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside. Harry kept looking behind him. The old feeling that he was being watched was upon him.**

Moody's glare intensified at the indirect mention of the misuse of his magical eye.

**The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy.**

"Whose good idea was it to do it at night?" Sirius asked, breaking the tense silence, "You tried to relieve the stress by allowing them time with their families, then increased it by making them compete at night time! Everything's scarier at night time!"

"Tournament rules, Mr Black," Amelia replied coolly, "We cannot change everything, even if we wanted to."

Sirius rolled his eyes but lapsed into silence, waiting with uncharacteristic patience for Professor McGonagall to continue.

**He reached a second fork.**

**"Point Me," he whispered to his wand, holding it flat in his palm.**

"Told you it was a good spell." Tonks said, trying to lighten the mood slightly. She was unsuccessful.

**The wand spun around once and pointed toward his right, into solid hedge. **

"Helpful." Said Justin sarcastically, "We didn't think of that little issue."

**That way was north, and he knew that he needed to go northwest for the center of the maze. The best he could do was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible.**

"Doing better than I would be," Tonks tried again, "I doubt I would have even made it into the maze!"

This time she was slightly more successful; a few people let out short snorts of laughter and Remus smiled at her, squeezing her hand gently in acknowledgement of the effort.

**The path ahead was empty too, and when Harry reached a right turn and took it, he again found his way unblocked.**

"Okay, something is definitely wrong here," Bill said, brow furrowed, "I'm sure you should have met something by now. Either something really big is coming, or there's something against the rules going on here."

**Harry didn't know why, but the lack of obstacles was unnerving him.**

"Good, don't drop your guard." Bill nodded approvingly.

"Sounding a little like Mad-Eye there, Bill," Ginny teased, smiling at her older brother, who in return ruffled her hair good-naturedly.

**Surely he should have met something by now? It felt as though the maze were luring him into a false sense of security.**

**Then he heard movement right behind him. **

The atmosphere immediately became more tense as people held their breath in anticipation.

**He held out his wand, ready to attack, but its beam fell only upon Cedric, **

There was an audible sigh as people relaxed in their seats, glad both boys were safe, but at the same time slightly disappointed by the lack of excitement.

**who had just hurried out of a path on the right-hand side. Cedric looked severely shaken. The sleeve of his robe was smoking.**

**"Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts!" he hissed. "They're enormous - I only just got away!"**

Hagrid blushed at the mention of his skrewts, reminded of the article Rita Skeeta had written about him, but looked strangely proud at the mention of how deadly his pets had grown.

**He shook his head and dived out of sight, along another path. Keen to put plenty of distance between himself and the skrewts,**

"Good plan," Fred said, dead seriously.

**Harry hurried off again. Then, as he turned a corner, he saw… a dementor gliding toward him.**

"What!" Was the general exclamation from the majority of the hall. Sirius had gone pale and his hands shook slightly at the mention of the prison guards, but Remus reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. Sirius smiled in appreciation of the movement.

Meanwhile Mrs Weasley was fretting anxiously at Dumbledore.

"Why is one of _them_ in there? I know there would be obstacles, but surely this is too much? I mean, Dementors! Even the rules of the tournament have to have some limitations don't they? I don't see how you could-"

"Molly, calm down!" Mr Weasley cut across her impatiently, "I'm sure there's an explanation. Think reasonably; Dumbledore wouldn't allow a real Dementor on the grounds, especially not for the tournament!"

Looking to Dumbledore for confirmation, he received an inclination of the head as a response. Slightly embarrassed, Mrs Weasley regained her seat from where she had stood up, still looking worried.

**Twelve feet tall, its face hidden by its hood, its rotting, scabbed hands outstretched, it advanced, sensing its way blindly toward him.**

Sirius shivered at the description.

**Harry could hear its rattling breath; he felt clammy coldness stealing over him, but knew what he had to do…**

**He summoned the happiest thought he could, concentrated with all his might on the thought of getting out of the maze and celebrating with Ron and Hermione,** **raised his wand, and cried, "Expecto Patronum!"**

Amelia Bones listened with interest. Obviously she had heard that Potter could produce a corporeal patronus, but it would be interesting to here what thought he used.

Ron and Hermione were looking touched concerning Harry's choice of happy thought, but did not comment. Harry's face clearly told that he wanted to be left alone.

**A silver stag erupted from the end of Harry's wand and galloped toward the Dementor,**

Sirius and Remus grinned at the description, remembering better times with old friends.

**which fell back and tripped over the hem of its robes… Harry had never seen a Dementor stumble.**

"Stumble?" Bill asked in confusion.

**"Hang on!" he shouted, advancing in the wake of his silver Patronus, "You're a Boggart! Riddikulus!"**

"Oh," Bill said, brow clearing, that makes more sense." Then he turned to Harry.

"Your boggart is a dementor? Mate, that's clever. And depressing. Sorry."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that, so chose to smile slightly and stay quiet.

**There was a loud crack, and the shape-shifter exploded in a wisp of smoke.**

**The silver stag faded from sight. Harry wished it could have stayed, he could have used some company… but he moved on, quickly and quietly as possible, listening hard, his wand held high once more. Left… right… left again… Twice he found himself facing dead ends. He did the Four-Point Spell again and found that he was going too far east. He turned back, took a right turn, and saw an odd golden mist floating ahead of him.**

"That's never good." Neville said quietly, "It's always the innocent stuff you need to look out for."

Moody looked approvingly down the table at this. Having never taught Neville, he was unaware as to the boy's talents; it seemed he had inherited a bit of Frank and Alice however.

**Harry approached it cautiously, pointing the wand's beam at it. This looked like some kind of enchantment. He wondered whether he might be able to blast it out of the way.**

**"Reducto!" he said.**

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Ron said sarcastically, "The Reducto spell is for use on solid objects, Harry! Didn't you ever read our notes?"

"Well sorry," Harry replied indignantly, "I didn't expect for my performance to be analysed and assessed!"

A few people sniggered at the interaction. Hermione was looking at Ron in surprise; she wasn't even aware _he _ had read the notes (her notes). It was nice to know she hadn't wasted her time completely.

**The spell shot straight through the mist, leaving it intact. He supposed he should have known better; the Reductor Curse was for solid objects. What would happen if he walked through the mist? Was it worth chancing it, or should he double back?**

**He was still hesitating when a scream shattered the silence.**

The slightly relaxed atmosphere immediately tensed at the sudden change for the darker, reminding the residents of the hall about what happened very soon now.

**"Fleur?" Harry yelled.**

Bill looked worried about his _friend_, even though he knew it was irrational as this had occurred nearly a year ago and he had seen Fleur barely three days ago.

**There was silence. He stared all around him. What had happened to her? Her scream seemed to have come from somewhere ahead. He took a deep breath and ran through the enchanted mist.**

"Noble idiot," Ron remarked fondly.

**The world turned upside down. Harry was hanging from the ground, with his hair on end, his glasses dangling off his nose, threatening to fall into the bottomless sky. He clutched them to the end of his nose and hung there, terrified. It felt as though his feet were glued to the grass, which had now become the ceiling. Below him the dark, star-spangled heavens stretched endlessly. He felt as though if he tried to move one of his feet, he would fall away from the earth completely.**

"That's so weird." Dean said, sounding slightly disturbed, "What if you fell? Would we see you hurtling upwards?"

No one, it seemed, had an answer for this.

**Think, he told himself, as all the blood rushed to his head, think… But not one of the spells he had practiced had been designed to combat a sudden reversal of ground and sky. Did he dare move his foot? He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. He had two choices - try and move, or send up red sparks, and get rescued and disqualified from the task.**

Harry smiled bitterly; maybe he should have done that. What a difference it would have made if he hadn't made it to the graveyard. Voldemort wouldn't be back for one. Cedric might have been injured by the spider. Heck, maybe none of them would have won. Maybe no one would have died.

**He shut his eyes, so he wouldn't be able to see the view of endless space below him, and pulled his right foot as hard as he could away from the grassy ceiling. **

"Stupid, stupid!" Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "You didn't even think about it!"

**Immediately, the world righted itself. Harry fell forward onto his knees onto the wonderfully solid ground. He felt temporarily limp with shock. He took a deep, steadying breath, then got up again and hurried forward, looking back over his shoulder as he ran away from the golden mist, which twinkled innocently at him in the moonlight.**

**He paused at a junction of two paths and looked around for some sign of Fleur. He was sure it had been she who had screamed. What had she met? Was she all right? There was no sign of red sparks - did that mean she had got herself out of trouble, or was she in such trouble that she couldn't reach her wand? Harry took the right fork with a feeling of increasing unease… but at the same time, he couldn't help thinking. One champion down…**

"Harry!" Hermione said in horror, "that's horrible!"

Harry looked slightly ashamed, but resentful at the same time.

"Hermione, I didn't know what was going to happen," he pointed out, "All I knew was that this was a tournament and at this point, I thought I had a chance of winning. Sorry for trying. I know that it was bad, but at the same time, at least I didn't have to face Fleur. She was fine anyway."

Hermione looked a little mollified, but still held her ground.

"Still, that's not the point," she continued, "what I mean-"

"Drop it, Hermione," Ron advised.

"But-"

"Just, drop it," he said quietly, motioning to Harry, whose face had retreated to the surly expression that seemed to dominate his face this year. Spotting this, Hermione - thankfully - fell silent.

**The cup was somewhere close by, and it sounded as though Fleur was no longer in the running. He'd got this far, hadn't he? What if he actually managed to win? Fleetingly, and for the first time since he'd found himself champion, he saw again that image of himself, raising the Triwizard Cup in front of the rest of the school…**

Snape sneered. Of course Potter would expect to win before even reaching the cup. He was an arrogant, spoilt brat; this reading was likely boosting his ego even further.

**He met nothing for ten minutes, but kept running into dead ends. **

Bill frowned. Surely he should meet more obstacles than that. He pushed it out of his mind. Who knew, maybe Harry was just lucky.

**Twice he took the same wrong turning. Finally, he found a new route and started to jog along it, his wandlight waving, making his shadow flicker and distort on the hedge walls.**

**Then he rounded another corner and found himself facing a Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

"Uh oh," Seamus said grimly, "Now you're in trouble."

Harry looked at him oddly. Seamus had not spoken to him since the incident at the beginning of term. Maybe this was a sign that people were really being convinced by the readings.

Lightened by these thoughts, he focussed on McGonagall's words. However, the positive thoughts could not improve his mood when he thought about the time to come.

**Cedric was right - it was enormous. Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back.**

Those who had never had the pleasure of meeting the skrewts looked horrified, while the others shuddered at the memory of the various burns, bites and stings they had received off the creature.

**Its thick armor glinted in the light from Harry's wand, which he pointed at it.**

**"Stupefy!"**

"Good plan," Tonks said approvingly, "Unless of course its shell-"

**The spell hit the skrewt's armor and rebounded;**

"-is protected against spells." She finished, "That's always an annoying issue."

**Harry ducked just in time, but could smell burning hair; it had singed the top of his head. The skrewt issued a blast of fire from its end and flew forward toward him.**

**"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled. The spell hit the skrewt's armor again and ricocheted off; Harry staggered back a few paces and fell over.**

"Good spell, but no better than Stupefy in this effect," Lupin criticised kindly.

**"IMPEDIMENTA!"**

"…You do realise saying it louder doesn't help, right?" Sirius asked in concern. Harry glared at him.

**The skrewt was inches from him when it froze – **

"Ha!"

"That was just lucky."

**he had managed to hit it on its fleshy, shell-less underside. **

"See, luck."

"I think you mean skill."

"…No."

**Panting, Harry pushed himself away from it and ran, hard, in the opposite direction - the Impediment Curse was not permanent; the skrewt would be regaining the use of its legs at any moment.**

**He took a left path and hit a dead end, a right, and hit another; forcing himself to stop, heart hammering, he performed the Four-Point Spell again, backtracked, and chose a path that would take him northwest.**

**He had been hurrying along the new path for a few minutes, when he heard something in the path running parallel to his own that made him stop dead.**

**"What are you doing?" yelled Cedric's voice. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"**

**And then Harry heard Krum's voice.**

A few people exchanged confused glances. Others were looking concerned; surely Cedric being involved meant they were getting close. And what was Krum doing?

**"Crucio!"**

"WHAT!"

"HOW COULD HE?"

"WHAT'S HE THINKING!"

"DURMSTRANG DEATH EATER!"

These were the general calls echoing around the hall in midst of the uproar the words had caused. The teachers attempted to calm the students down, but not until Dumbledore stood up with a loud bang did they fall silent.

"I can assure you," Dumbledore said, his usually kind eyes steely, "That Mr Krum is completely innocent of his actions. He was under another's influence at the time and is not to be held at all responsible for any effects he caused. I do not want to hear any more said about it."

With this unusually stern announcement, he regained his seat. Many students continued muttering angrily, but none spoke loud enough for their comments to be heard. Clearing her throat, McGonagall continued.

**The air was suddenly full of Cedric's yells. Horrified, Harry began sprinting up his path, trying to find a way into Cedric's. When none appeared, he tried the Reductor Curse again. It wasn't very effective, but it burned a small hole in the hedge through which Harry forced his leg, kicking at the thick brambles and branches until they broke and made an opening; he struggled through it, tearing his robes, and looking to his right, saw Cedric jerking and twitching on the ground, Krum standing over him.**

Many people glared darkly at each other, unwilling to not hold the Quidditch player responsible, but refraining from speaking under Dumbledore's stern gaze.

**Harry pulled himself up and pointed his wand at Krum just as Krum looked up. Krum turned and began to run.**

**"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.**

**The spell hit Krum in the back; he stopped dead in his tracks, fell forward, and lay motionless, facedown in the grass.**

"Well done," Moody said gruffly, "But you can't leave him there. You should send up sparks for the teachers to find him."

Harry grinned slightly at the comment, pleased that the Auror would approve of his actions.

**Harry-dashed over to Cedric, who had stopped twitching and was lying there panting, his hands over his face.**

**"Are you all right?" Harry said roughly, grabbing Cedric's arm.**

**"Yeah," panted Cedric. "Yeah… I don't believe it… he crept up behind me… I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me…"**

**Cedric got up. He was still shaking. He and Harry looked down at Krum.**

**"I can't believe this… I thought he was all right," Harry said, staring at Krum.**

**"So did I," said Cedric.**

**"Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?" said Harry.**

**"Yeah," said Cedric. "You don't think Krum got her too?"**

There were some uneasy glances exchanged at this point. Bill's face darkened at the mention of his friend, and suddenly decided that he would rip up his signed poster of Krum he kept in his old room.

**"I don't know," said Harry slowly.**

**"Should we leave him here?" Cedric muttered.**

"As much as I would like to, no," Ron sighed, "He'd probably get eaten by a skrewt."

**"No," said Harry. "I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him… otherwise he'll probably be eaten by a skrewt."**

Ron looked at Harry oddly, before shifting away from him jokingly, looking disturbed. Moody however, looked pleased at Harry's suggestion.

"Good to see you kept your head, Potter," he growled, "Nice work."

**"He'd deserve it," Cedric muttered, but all the same, he raised his wand and shot a shower of red sparks into the air, which hovered high above Krum, marking the spot where he lay.**

Cho sniffed. Cedric was such a nice guy. Krum had just tortured him and he still sent for help. She let out a stifled cry at the reminder of what was going to happen next.

**Harry and Cedric stood there in the darkness for a moment, looking around them.**

**Then Cedric said, "Well… I s'pose we'd better go on…"**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"Oh… yeah… right…"**

**It was an odd moment. He and Cedric had been briefly united against Krum – now the fact that they were opponents came back to Harry. **

"That'd be awkward…" Justin said quietly.

**The two of them proceeded up the dark path without speaking, then Harry turned left, and Cedric right. Cedric's footsteps soon died away.**

Unconsciously, the hall breathed a sigh of relief; as long as Cedric wasn't in the picture, he couldn't die. Not yet, anyway.

**Harry moved on, continuing to use the Four-Point Spell, making sure he was moving in the right direction. It was between him and Cedric now. His desire to reach the cup first was now burning stronger than ever, but he could hardly believe what he'd just seen Krum do. The use of an Unforgivable Curse on a fellow human being meant a life term in Azkaban, that was what Moody had told them. Krum surely couldn't have wanted the Triwizard Cup that badly…**

"If he did, there was something seriously wrong with him," Sirius said, completely serious. "Nothing's worth that. Nothing."

**Harry sped up. Every so often he hit more dead ends,** **but the increasing darkness made him feel sure he was getting near the heart of the maze. **

"Or it's getting later. One or the other."

**Then, as he strode down a long, straight path, he saw movement once again, and his beam of wandlight hit an extraordinary creature, one which he had only seen in picture form, in his Monster Book of Monsters.**

**It was a sphinx.**

Hermione gasped, eyes widening in awe and a soft "wow" floated across from the Ravenclaw table. Many people were looking at Harry in shock, amazed he had met one of the creatures; they were incredibly rare after all.

**It had the body of an over-large lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman. She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes upon Harry as he approached. He raised his wand, hesitating. She was not crouching as if to spring, but pacing from side to side of the path, blocking his progress.**

"Harry, don't kid yourself, if she wanted to attack you'd have no chance." Sirius said flatly, "She's a sphinx. Part woman, part lion – a deadly combination."

Fred and George snorted into their goblets as Tonks leaned over to slap her cousin happily across the back of the head. Rubbing his head petulantly, Sirius fell silent.

**Then she spoke, in a deep, hoarse voice.**

**"You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."**

**"So… so will you move, please?" said Harry, knowing what the answer was going to be.**

"Wow, you're smart." Ron said seriously. Harry glared at him.

"Shut up."

**"No," she said, continuing to pace. "Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess - I let you pass. Answer wrongly - I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from me unscathed."**

"Okay," Hermione said, "So if you don't get it, you don't answer. That's not a big deal, you just find another way around. But you should listen to the riddle anyway, just in case-"

"Hermione, you do realise this has already happened?" Harry said in bemusement.

Hermione blushed profoundly.

"Of course!" she squeaked, "I just was pointing it out. In case anyone hadn't noticed."

Ron stared at her.

"Righhht." He said slowly, before returning his gaze to the head table.

**Harry's stomach slipped several notches. It was Hermione who was good at this sort of thing, not him. **

Hermine blushed with pleasure and shot Harry a beaming smile. Ron glared at his hands sullenly.

**He weighed his chances. If the riddle was too hard, he could keep silent, get away from the sphinx unharmed, and try and find an alternative route to the center.**

Harry looked pointedly at Hermione, who just as pointedly ignored him.

**"Okay," he said. "Can I hear the riddle?"**

**The sphinx sat down upon her hind legs, in the very middle of the path, and recited:**

_**"First think of the person who lives in disguise,**_

_**Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.**_

_**Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,**_

_**The middle of middle and end of the end?**_

_**And finally give me the sound often heard**_

_**During the search for a hard-to-find word.**_

_**Now string them together, and answer me this,**_

_**Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"**_

"Spider." Ron said immediately, shuddering involuntarily. Fred and George grinned predatorily at him.

"C'mon, you're not _still_ scared of the?" Fred asked, "That was one time!"

Ron glared back at them, not speaking. Hermione however, looked thoughtful.

"You might not be wrong actually…" she said, gazing unseeingly at the ceiling.

**Harry gaped at her.**

**"Could I have it again… more slowly?" he asked tentatively. She blinked at him, smiled, and repeated the poem. "All the clues add up to a creature I wouldn't want to kiss?" Harry asked.**

**She merely smiled her mysterious smile.**

**Harry took that for a "yes."**

**Harry cast his mind around. There were plenty of animals he wouldn't want to kiss; his immediate thought was a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but something told him that wasn't the answer. **

"Why wouldn't you want to kiss one, Harry?" George asked innocently, "Personally. I think that they're pretty-"

"Okay, stop right there!" Charlied covered his ears childishly, "I really didn't need to hear that from my own brother."

George grinned, seemingly pleased that he had managed to disgust almost the entire hall full of people.

**He'd have to try and work out the clues…**

**"A person in disguise," Harry muttered, staring at her, "who lies… er… that'd be a - an impostor. No, that's not my guess! A - a spy?**

**I'll come back to that… could you give me the next clue again, please?"**

**She repeated the next lines of the poem.**

**"'The last thing to mend,'" Harry repeated. "Er… no idea… 'middle of middle'… could I have the last bit again?"**

**She gave him the last four lines.**

**"'The sound often heard during the search for a hard-to-find word,'" said Harry. "Er… that'd be… er… hang on - 'er'! Er's a sound!"**

**The sphinx smiled at him.**

**"Spy… er… spy… er…" said Harry, pacing up and down. "A creature I wouldn't want to kiss… a spider!"**

Ron looked surprised, but straightened his back and held his head high. Whether he saw Lavander's admiring gaze or Hermione's impressed and surprised stare, it was unclear.

**The sphinx smiled more broadly. She got up, stretched her front legs, and then moved aside for him to pass.**

**"Thanks!" said Harry, and, amazed at his own brilliance, he dashed forward. He had to be close now, he had to be… His wand was telling him he was bang on course; as long as he didn't meet anything too horrible, he might have a chance…**

Of course he didn't, Harry thought bitterly, nothing ever goes right for him.

**Harry broke into a run. He had a choice of paths up ahead. "Point Me!" he whispered again to his wand, and it spun around and pointed him to the right-hand one. He dashed up this one and saw light ahead.**

There was utter silence now as the entire hall held its breath. This was it. They were very close now.

**The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away. Suddenly a dark figure hurtled out onto the path in front of was going to get there first. Cedric was sprinting as fast as he could toward the cup, and Harry knew he would never catch up, Cedric was much taller, had much longer legs –**

There were tears of suspense and anxiety in a few people's eyes. Even the Weasley twins didn't try to make a joke at this.

**Then Harry saw something immense over a hedge to his left, moving quickly along a path that intersected with his own; it was moving so fast Cedric was about to run into it, and Cedric, his eyes on the cup, had not seen it –**

Cho gasped softly, tears streaking down her face. She didn't know how Cedric had spent his last moments. She hoped he wasn't in pain.

**"Cedric!" Harry bellowed. "On your left!"**

Sirius smiled in pride; Harry could have let Diggory get hit, it would give him a free pass to the cup. But he didn't; he warned the other boy. It was the sort of thing James would have done.

**Cedric looked around just in time to hurl himself past the thing and avoid colliding with it, but in his haste, he tripped. Harry saw Cedric's wand fly out of his hand as a gigantic spider stepped into the path and began to bear down upon Cedric.**

**"Stupefy!" Harry yelled; the spell hit the spider's gigantic, hairy black body, but for all the good it did, he might as well have thrown a stone at it; the spider jerked, scuttled around, and ran at Harry instead.**

Parvati and Lavanders' hands were covering their mouths as everyone stared in complete silence at Professor McGonagall spoke in a clipped voice into the silence.

**"Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!"But it was no use - the spider was either so large, or so magical, that the spells were doing no more than aggravating it. Harry had one horrifying glimpse of eight shining black eyes and razor-sharp pincers before it was upon him.**

Sirius' hands clenched automatically on the table. He knew Harry got hurt, but he didn't have to like listening about it. He glanced sideways at his godson, just to check he was alright. Call him overprotective, but he had fourteen years to make up for.

**He was lifted into the air in its front legs; struggling madly, he tried to kick it; his leg connected with the pincers and next moment he was in excruciating pain.**

All the adults were looking very grim now. It was their duty to protect these children, but they were still getting hurt. Even Snape had stopped sneering at the Gryffindors in exchange for glaring at the ceiling.

**He could hear Cedric yelling "Stupefy!" too,**

"He's picking up on your habits, harry," Fred joked weakly, gaining a few slight twitches of the lips but no more.

**but his spell had no more effect than Harry's - Harry raised his wand as the spider opened its pincers once more and shouted "Expelliarmus!"**

Those members of the DA who were least affected by the story grinned slightly at the spell; it had been the first Harry taught them and his signature move after all. They all had no doubt as to what would happen next.

**It worked - the Disarming Spell made the spider drop him,**

A few people nodded in relief.

**but that meant that Harry fell twelve feet onto his already injured leg, which crumpled beneath him.**

The nods stopped abruptly as heads turned worriedly in Harry's direction. It was one thing to know someone got hurt. It was another to hear it being described.

**Without pausing to think, he aimed high at the spider's underbelly, as he had done with the skrewt, and shouted "Stupefy!'' just as Cedric yelled the same thing. **

Charlie opened his mouth to comment on the utility of two spells instead of one, but changed his mind and stayed silent.

**The two spells combined did what one alone had not: The spider keeled over sideways, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a tangle of hairy legs.**

**"Harry!" he heard Cedric shouting. "You all right? Did it fall on you?"**

Harry shook his head. Cedric was so noble. That was what killed him in the end.

**"No," Harry called back, panting. He looked down at his leg. It was bleeding freely. He could see some sort of thick, gluey secretion from the spider's pincers on his torn robes. He tried to get up, but his leg was shaking badly and did not want to support his weight.**

Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You duelled him on that?" She whispered in horror, so no one else could hear, "Oh, Harry."

Harry looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. This was why he had been unwilling to agree to this reading; he didn't want anyone's pity. They hadn't been there for him before, he didn't need it now.

**He leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around. Cedric was standing feet from the Triwizard Cup, which was gleaming behind him.**

**"Take it, then," Harry panted to Cedric. "Go on, take it. You're there."**

**But Cedric didn't move.**

There was a whisper of movement around the hall as people shifted in confusion. Only those closest to the two champions understood. Both were equally noble. This wouldn't end well.

**He merely stood there, looking at Harry. Then he turned to stare at the cup. Harry saw the longing expression on his face in its golden light. Cedric looked around at Harry again, who was now holding onto the hedge to support himself. Cedric took a deep breath.**

"He's not going to take it," Alicia realised, "He's going to tell you to because you saved him from the spider."

Those who hadn't already guessed this suddenly looked up in realisation and more pitiful glances were sent in Harry's direction. They were steadfastly ignored.

**"You take it. You should win. That's twice you've saved my neck in here."**

A few nods at the predictable behaviour.

**"That's not how it's supposed to work," Harry said.**

**He felt angry; his leg was very painful, he was aching all over from trying to throw off the spider, and after all his efforts, Cedric had beaten him to it, just as he'd beaten Harry to ask Cho to the ball.**

Cho blushed and looked down, even more tears welling up in her eyes. She leaned against Marietta for support. How things might have been different if Harry had asked her first. Maybe she wouldn't have been crying so much these days if he had.

Harry himself couldn't even find it in himself to feel embarrassed that his crush had been revealed. It all seemed so pointless when considering that in a few moments he would be listening to the death of a friend. Again. Not even the twins thought to mock him for the comment at this time.

**"The one who reaches the cup first gets the points. That's you. I'm telling you, I'm not going to win any races on this leg."**

**Cedric took a few paces nearer to the Stunned spider, away from the cup, shaking his head.**

**"No," he said.**

**"Stop being noble," said Harry irritably.**

A few stifled snorts could be heard hear at the hypocrisy of that sentence. Ron just shook his head while Hermione smiled a watery smile at her friend. He could see it in everyone but himself.

**"Just take it, then we can get out of here."**

**Cedric watched Harry steadying himself, holding tight to the hedge.**

**"You told me about the dragons," Cedric said. "I would've gone down in the first task if you hadn't told me what was coming."**

"You did?" Charlie asked, unable to help himself, "Why?"

Harry looked like he was considering not answering, but eventually replied.

"I knew all the other champions but him did. It was only fair. Anyone would have."

Those who heard shot him incredulous stares. He had an advantage on Cedric, arguably his biggest rival in the competition, and he gave it up _to be fair?_

Those who still had doubts about his motives were now convinced; the ministry was lying. Harry was a good man.

**"I had help on that too," Harry snapped, trying to mop up his bloody leg with his robes. "You helped me with the egg - we're square."**

"Just as noble as each other…" Professor Sprout muttered sadly, mopping her eyes with her handkerchief.

**"I had help on the egg in the first place," said Cedric.**

**"We're still square," said Harry, testing his leg gingerly; it shook violently as he put weight on it; he had sprained his ankle when the spider had dropped him.**

**"You should've got more points on the second task," said Cedric mulishly. "You stayed behind to get all the hostages. I should've done that."**

"Of course he felt bad about it," A Hufflepuff who Harry recognised as having laughed at him last year said quietly, "Last year he was complaining all the time that he should have gone back for them."

**"I was the only one who was thick enough to take that song seriously!" said Harry bitterly. "Just take the cup!"**

**"No," said Cedric.**

**He stepped over the spider's tangled legs to join Harry, who stared at him. Cedric was serious. He was walking away from the sort of glory Hufflepuff House hadn't had in centuries.**

Some Hufflepuffs looked a little resentful at this line.

**"Go on," Cedric said. He looked as though this was costing him every ounce of resolution he had, but his face was set, his arms were folded, he seemed decided.**

**Harry looked from Cedric to the cup. For one shining moment, he saw himself emerging from the maze, holding it. He saw himself holding the Triwizard Cup aloft, heard the roar of the crowd, saw Cho's face shining with admiration, more clearly than he had ever seen it before… and then the picture faded, and he found himself staring at Cedric's shadowy, stubborn face.**

Harry lowered his head. If only he'd been selfish for once…

**"Both of us," Harry said.**

"What?" Harry heard someone mutter.

**"What?"**

**"We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."**

Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione all closed their eyes at these words. So that was why Harry blamed himself. He thought it was his fault.

Harry lowered his head onto his arm. He didn't care what it looked like. He didn't care what anyone else said. It was his fault. His, and only his. He would never forget that.

**Cedric stared at Harry. He unfolded his arms.**

**"You - you sure?"**

Cho closed her eyes, fresh tear overflowing and dripping onto the blue embroidered tablecloth below her.

**"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah… we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together."**

Even Malfoy was looking slighty uncomfortable. If you looked closely, you might have even noticed a trace of what some might call pity in his eyes. Not that he'd ever admit it of course.

**For a moment, Cedric looked as though he couldn't believe his ears; then his face split in a grin.**

**"You're on," he said. "Come here."**

**He grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder and helped Harry limp toward the plinth where the cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held a hand out over one of the cup's gleaming handles.**

It was so easy to picture them, standing there with Cedric holding up Harry, both preparing to do the right thing.

It was so sad.

**"On three, right?" said Harry. "One - two - three -"**

**He and Cedric both grasped a handle. Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel.**

There was a sharp intake of breath as the older students recognised the effects of a portkey. Despite the situation, muttering broke out as students turned to each other in consternation and terror. A few girls were biting down on their fists to prevent themselves from sobbing. It worked for some.

**His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Cedric at his side.**

No one spoke. No one moved. No one else offered to read next. Silently, Professor McGonagall turned the page and continued to read.

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><p><strong>So that got dramatic! Sorry again about the wait, it took me a while to decide what to do. Obviously I'll continue with the next chapter and will try to get it up soon. Please tell me what you think in the reviews and thanks for reading.<strong>


	6. Flesh, Blood and Bone

**Right...So how has everoyne been?**

**You know what, I have no excuse, but a few reviews and messages guilt-tripped me into this, so happy new school year!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the words in bold.**

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><p>"Flesh, Blood and Bone," Professor McGonagall read.<p>

Uneasy glances were exchanged at the ominous sounding title. Silently, Hermione reached out at slipped her hand into Harry's, squeezing it slightly for comfort.

**Harry felt his feet slam into the ground; his injured leg gave way, and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. He raised his head.**

"**Where are we?" he said.**

**Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around.**

There was an odd, solemn silence in the hall, no one moving apart from McGonagall. It was hard to think of anything other than the event that they knew would occur at any moment.

**They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles—perhaps hundreds of miles—for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard;**

Cho moaned slightly; how fitting that they should have been transported to a graveyard. She wondered if it had been deliberate.

**The black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside.**

**Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry.**

"**Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked.**

"Oh you're going to think this is part of the task," Zacharias Smith realised suddenly. Noticing the glares sent his way for interrupting ducked his head, "Sorry."

"**Nope," said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"**

Smith couldn't help but look slightly smug that he had been right.

"**I dunno," said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"**

Members of the Order looked at each other in sadness. It didn't matter whether they had been prepared or not. Voldemort would have still murdered them – Harry would be dead if Voldemort hadn't been so arrogant.

"**Yeah," said Harry, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him.**

Snape snorted slightly at this; typical Potter, so arrogant he found a form of protection a sign of weakness. Just like his father, appearance was everything to him.

Little did he know that Harry himself was shaking his head slightly, hating himself for being so petty at that time. It seemed so pointless now, knowing that Cedric had died. That was the last time he could remember feeling embarrassed about being paranoid; Moody would be proud.

**They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him. He had, yet again, the strange feeling that they were being watched.**

"Follow you gut-feelings, Harry," Tonks said softly, "They'll generally be right."

He voice broke the silence of the hall, and after she had finished it resorted to its state of dreaded anticipation.

"**Someone's coming," he said suddenly.**

There was no audible sound, but it was as though the temperature in the room had dropped ten degrees. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the final blow. Cho now had tears flowing constantly down her face and Harry was staring at the table in a sort of trance.

**Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves.**

Sirius growled softly under his breath. If he remembered Harry's story correctly, then he knew _exactly _who that was.

**Harry couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. **

Some of the horrified anticipation had now been replaced with unwilling curiosity, and a quiet murmur of whispers started up again.

**Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And—several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time—Harry saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby… or was it merely a bundle of robes?**

The whispers grew louder as friends shared their theories. Only those closes to the situation kept quiet, knowing how hard this was and wanting to get the chapter over as quickly as possible.

**Harry lowered his wand slightly **

Moody opened his mouth to speak, magical eye spinning furiously, but was silenced by Tonks' furious glare.

**and glanced sideways at Cedric. Cedric shot him a quizzical look. **

Cho stifled another sob.

**They both turned back to watch the approaching figure.**

The murmurs had ceased now, and the eerie silence had settled upon the hall once again.

**It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second, Harry and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another.**

No one breathed.

**And then, without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain. **

The hall was immediately filled with voices, either voicing their confusion or discussing theories. Harry looked up angrily at the chattering students. Why couldn't they shut up? They had all been so curious to know what had happened. Well, this was it – couldn't they just get it over with?

He felt Hermione shift beside him and turned to look at her, conveying his feelings in a glare.

"They're just scared," she explained quietly, "They're trying to put off the inevitable. I think a few of them are still hoping that it didn't happen."

Still annoyed, Harry turned away from her and resumed his brooding position contemplating the plate in front of him. Once the chattering had died away, Professor McGonagall spoke up again, effectively silencing those brave souls who had considered continuing their discussions.

**It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life; **

Harry felt Sirius's hand on his shoulder and Hermione's squeezing his reassuringly. Despite himself, he smiled softly. Maybe he wasn't so alone after all.

Malfoy was looking uncomfortable now. Not because Potter was in pain of course. No, he was worried because his father was at the graveyard that day and he didn't know whether these books would give him away. Yes, that was the reason he felt concern. Obviously.

**His wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open.**

Fudge was staring at Harry in horror. Oh, the Prophet would have a field day of any of this got out. He could see it know; Minister Scorns Tortured Boy. He was so fired…

Sirius was glaring at the book so hard Remus wondered whether it would survive the experience. However, he too was hating this, hating _Voldemort_ for this. And, he thought with sudden horror, if this was what happened when Harry got too close to Voldemort, what would it be like when the creature was resurrected? Remus didn't know the exact details of that night and was suddenly not too keen to know.

**From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare."**

There was a collection of horrified gasps and sobs as many people had to cover their mouths to stay silent. Cho was now leaning heavily on Marietta's shoulder, her tears stopping for a moment.

Everyone, even some of the Slytherins looked disgusted. _The spare_. Voldemort hadn't even considered Diggory a person, not even worthy of a name. No, he was just the _spare, _someone to be disposed of when not useful.

It was disgusting.

**A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: "Avada Kedavra!"**

"No…" Was the general sound around the hall. There were very few people who didn't have tears in their eyes at the sound of the curse. Cho had given up all pretence and was sobbing openly in Marietta's shoulder. Harry stared at her with dull, detached eyes, Hermione's hand still in his, although she herself had tears streaking down her face.

Dumbledore's eyes were dimmed, his expression pensive. Glancing down the table, he saw Hagrid mopping his eyes with his tablecloth handkerchief and Professor Sprout, blowing her nose on her own regular cloth. Moving down the table, he caught Professor McGonagall's questioning gaze and gave a slight nod, indicating her to move on. It would be better to get through this quickly.

**A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him; **

There were a few more choked sobs at this description. And Harry had had to see all this! They couldn't imagine how horrifying it must have been for him.

**the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes.**

**Cedric was lying spread eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.**

Cho gave one final shudder then fell still, tears continuing down her cheeks but no longer making any noise.

Fudge was staring at the book in horror. Everything he had said was wrong. Looking desperately at Umbridge for help, he was surprised to see her looking calm, lips pursed but staring serenely over the sea of solemn students. He turned away from her uneasily; it was disturbing how calmly she was taking the fact that a student had been killed by one of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers.

**For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared into Cedric's face, at his open grey eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows of a deserted house, at his half open mouth, which looked slightly surprised.**

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth; did Harry have to choose now to become so observant?

**And then, before Harry's mind had accepted what he was seeing, before he could feel anything but numb disbelief, he felt himself being pulled to his feet.**

Those people who had recovered slightly from the previous descriptions winced at the fact that Harry had not even been given a chance to recover from seeing a friend die.

**The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging Harry toward the marble headstone. Harry saw the name upon it flickering in the wandlight before he was forced around and slammed against it.**

And angry murmuring of noise rippled around the hall at this cruel treatment. Hermione's hand tightened on Harry's. Fudge lowered his head into his hands.

**TOM RIDDLE**

Students exchanged looks of confusion at this point, unaware of the significance of the name. The teachers however, looked grimly ahead, McGonagall pausing in her speech to remember the boy who went to Hogwarts with her.

**The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. **

The glares directed at the book you have started a fire.

**Harry could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled, and the man hit him—hit him with a hand that had a finger missing. And Harry realized who was under the hood. It was Wormtail.**

Immediately the hall broke into an angry chatter, all students yelling abuse at the man they had until recently believed to be a hero. Sirius growled in a very dog like fashion, eyes darkening at the mistreatment of his godson at the hands of one of his old friends.

Harry simply stared dully at the table in front of him. It wasn't looking like they were getting through this quickly after all.

"**You!" he gasped.**

**But Wormtail, who had finished conjuring the ropes, did not reply; he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, rumbling over the knots. Once sure that Harry was bound so tightly to the headstone that he couldn't move an inch, Wormtail drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry's mouth; then, without a word, he turned from Harry and hurried away.**

"Probably feels guilty…" Muttered Justin, earning nods from those in his vicinity.

**Harry couldn't make a sound, nor could he see where Wormtail had gone; he couldn't turn his head to see beyond the headstone; he could see only what was right in front of him.**

**Cedric's body was lying some twenty feet away. **

Cho choked and many younger students turned white upon remembering that one of Harry's classmates was dead on the floor while he was being tied up. It was a horrible reminder that what they were hearing about had actually happened; it wasn't just a silly fairy tale with a perfect happy ending.

**Some way beyond him, glinting in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup.**

"I really hate that thing now," said George quietly, so only his twin heard. Fred's head inclined slightly in agreement, but he refrained from commenting; the situation was too serious to interrupt.

**Harry's wand was on the ground at Cedric's feet.**

Remus gritted his teeth at the knowledge that Harry was unarmed, but closed his eyes, reminding himself that Harry was alive and well sitting near him right at that moment. He would be fine.

**The bundle of robes that Harry had thought was a baby was close by, at the foot of the grave. It seemed to be stirring fretfully. Harry watched it, and his scar seared with pain again… and he suddenly knew that he didn't want to see what was in those robes… he didn't want that bundle opened…**

Fudge was almost in tears now, but he was completely powerless. He could see his job slipping out of his grasp more and more with every word uttered from Professor McGonagall's mouth. He could stop them reading, but then what? The students would tell their parents he was denying them the truth, and he would lose his job anyway. No, he could do nothing but sit in his chair and wait for his impending downfall.

It was terrifying.

**He could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. **

Parvati Patil shuddered in horror at the description. It was typical for You-Know-Who to have a pet snake.

**Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again. It sounded as though he was forcing something heavy across the ground. Then he came back within Harry's range of vision, and Harry saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water—Harry could hear it slopping around—and it was larger than any cauldron Harry had ever used; a great stone belly large enough for a full grown man to sit in.**

A horrible sense of unease was settling around the hall as some of the more intelligent students started putting the clues together about what was coming next.

**The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now Wormtail was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand. Suddenly there were crackling names beneath it. The large snake slithered away into the darkness.**

"Good," muttered Lavander, looking worriedly at Harry.

**The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast.**

"Like magic in fact?" Zachariah joked, earning glares from the nearby Hufflepuff's at his inconsiderate timing.

**The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail tending the fire. The movements beneath the robes became more agitated. And Harry heard the high, cold voice again.**

"**Hurry!"**

Hermione's hand tightened harder around Harry's as she closed her eyes in disgust and fear about what would happen next to her best friend. Harry had never given the details about exactly what happened that night, and she and Ron had never pushed him. In truth, she didn't really want to know.

**The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds.**

"**It is ready. Master."**

Despite himself, Sirius scoffed in disgust at his old 'friend'. The subservience he was showing was truly sickening to hear about and it only made Sirius hate himself further for not realising that Peter was the traitor in the first place. How could he have suspected Remus when that little scumbag was around?

Little did he know, a few seats down Remus was thinking the exact same thing about Sirius.

"**Now…" said the cold voice.**

**Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a yell that was strangled in the wad of material blocking his mouth.**

There was a sharp intake of breath as the hall waited for the description that would surely follow.

**It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind—but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face—no child alive ever had a face like that—flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.**

McGonagall read all this very quickly in the hopes of getting it over with, as some of the younger students (and a few of the older ones) had started to go green. Neville looked absolutely horrified, his hands flying up to cover his mouth at the description, and there was not one face in the hall that did not bear a look of revulsion.

**The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. **

"I think I'm going to be sick," grimaced Fred, looking revolted at the description of the twisted creature.

**As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud.**

"Did he just kill it?" Ernie said, confused, as similarly bewildered muttering broke out.

"I don't think so," Padma replied warily. She had a feeling that this wasn't over yet. Glancing over at Harry's blank face, she got the impression there was something worse to come.

**Let it drown, Harry thought, his scar burning almost past endurance, please… let it drown…**

"Here, here!"

**Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.**

"**Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"**

"Okay then…" Charlie said slowly, looking confused. Next to him however, Bill's eyes widened. He recognised that phrase from his training as a Curse Breaker. Though, knowing what the enchantment required, he really hoped he was mistaken.

**The surface of the grave at Harry's feet cracked. Horrified, Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. **

**The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous looking blue.**

**And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.**

"**Flesh—of the servant—w-willingly given—you will—revive—your master."**

Sirius grinned a feral grin, knowing what was coming. The little rat deserved to have more than just his hand cut off, that was for sure.

**He stretched his right hand out in front of him—the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward.**

"No…he's not going to?" Daphne Greengrass said in horror at what was to come.

**Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened—he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too. He heard something fall to the ground, heard Wormtail's anguished panting, then a sickening splash, as something was dropped into the cauldron. **

Fudge had gone barely green, and if one looked at Umbridge close enough, you may see the faint glint of something like panic in her eye.

**Harry couldn't stand to look… but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids…**

**Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. Not until Harry felt Wormtail's anguished breath on his face did he realize that Wormtail was right in front of him.**

"Don't touch him you bastard!" Ron growled angrily. Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand too, both to comfort and be comforted. He looked down and their linked hands in confusion; this successfully distracted him for long enough that Professor McGonagall could continue. She wanted this over with soon…

"**B-blood of the enemy… forcibly taken… you will… resurrect your foe."**

"He'd better not do what I think he's going to," Fred said darkly, alternating between staring at Harry and the book. Harry was still staring blankly into the distance, lost in memories as Hermione's thumb rubbed reassuring circles into his hand.

**Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly… Squinting down, struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding him, he saw the shining silver dagger shaking in Wormtails remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. Wormtail, still panting with pain, rumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut, so that a dribble of blood fell into it.**

Here Professor McGonagall had to pause as there were various exclamations of anger from around the hall. The Gryffindors all looked murderous and Percy Weasley was clenching his jaw so hard it looked like he was going to break it.

Fudge sank lower into his seat.

**He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned, instantly, a blinding white.**

Hermione smiled weakly. Even in this scenario, it seemed that Harry could be displayed as good, even if she was reading a little too deeply into the colour transformation.

**Wormtail, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing.**

"Good," Said Remus savagely, earning surprised looks from his ex-students.

**The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Nothing happened…**

The silence that had fallen was almost tangible.

**Let it have drowned, Harry thought, let it have gone wrong…**

**And then, suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Wormtail or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air… It's gone wrong, he thought… it's drowned… please… please let it be dead…**

Once again, no one breathed as McGonagall's voice drifted clearly through the hall.

Lavander Brown had her hands over her mouth. Neville's eyes were as wide as saucers.

Nearby, Harry sighed loudly, the only sound penetrating the thick silence that had fallen.

**But then, through the mist in front of him, he saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.**

"No…" moaned Fudge quietly as there was a sharp intake of breath from around the hall.

"**Robe me," said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them one handed over his master's head.**

"Shit," Ernie said under his breath, staring wide eyed at the book. He knew this would happen as he believed Harry anyway, but to hear about it in detail was a bit different from vaguely knowing the general outcome.

**The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry… and Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years.**

Hermione let out a quiet sob before stifling it quickly. Ron squeezed her hand gently in assurance, though his face had settled into a grim expression not usually present.

**Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snakes with slits for nostrils…**

Professor McGonagall paused as she read the next line silently, eyes flitting around the hall as she braced herself for a reaction.

**Lord Voldemort had risen again.**

For a split second there was silence, as the words sank in. Then Fudge fell sideways off his chair with a horrified squeak, and the hall exploded into noise.

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><p><strong>I am so sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger after making you all wait this long! Deadlines aren't really my strongest point... I love you all, remember to read, review and check out my profile! xx<strong>


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